The Heroes of Time and Twilight
by Luna-of-Black-Roses
Summary: The Temple of Time has always been a place for the Hero to come to when he needed to traverse through time to complete his quest…but what if the Temple of Time one day allowed two Heroes to meet each other? This is an Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess crossover. No LinkxLink because that's gross.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Alrighty, sorry in advance for the beast of an author's note, but I have information. First off, I do not own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, or any of its stuff. Secondly, if you have not played both games, I highly recommend you do as there are MAJOR SPOILER ALERTS for both! Thirdly, I have made some slight modifications to this story. For instance, I know you play the Song of Time before the stones were placed, not after. But this is a fanfiction after all; I'm allowed to make some changes. But, for the sake of authenticity, I will try to retain as much similarity to the games as I can, hence why there are spoiler alerts. The major dialogue you would see in cutscenes in the game is exactly the same…unless I thought better of it (which I often do in later chapters by adding in some random stuff) or spellcheck told me I needed more stupid punctuation. Some people will know what's different, but it doesn't really matter, I guess. Enjoy the fanfic!**

 _The Heroes of Time and Twilight_

Prologue

It was a bleak day for Hyrule. To anyone who didn't know the tragedy that had just occurred, it appeared to be a normal afternoon. The sun was shining, its light dancing through the branches of the tall, thick, healthy-looking trees. The breeze was lightly racing through the world from the east, causing ripples in the grass. The water under Hyrule Castle Town's drawbridge was still gurgling merrily.

But the afternoon held a dark secret.

A lone boy clothed in green walked along the drawbridge, heading for the safety of Castle Town. He wore a hat and tunic with two brown leather belts: one on his shoulder and one around his waist. Brown leather knee-high boots protected his feet. His blue eyes scanned the world, searching for any signs of danger. In his hands, he clutched a blue ocarina with three gold triangles around the mouthpiece. His left hand wore a thick gold bracelet. His blonde hair was mostly hidden by his green windsock-like hat, but his bangs could easily be seen and were slightly fluffed up, parted in the center. They directed attention to his long, elf-like ears. On his back he wore a sword and shield.

The boy, who seemed no older than twelve or thirteen, appeared far too sad for someone his age. He could not erase the troubling images from his mind, but perhaps it was for the best; if he could remember Hyrule's current issues, then he would become even more motivated to protect the world. He disregarded the appearance of the town, focused only on one thing: getting to the Temple of Time.

He passed through the stone entryway and began slightly jogging for his destination. His boots made light tapping noises on the cobblestone streets. He entered Castle Town.

The residents of the town had no idea what had happened, it seemed. They were all still merrily continuing their business. Shopkeepers shouted in the streets, encouraging passersby to halt and examine their wares. People competed with one another, pushing and shoving each other around in the hopes of purchasing specific items before someone else could snatch the merchandise from them. A young girl chased a chicken through the streets. A woman and her dog lazily waited around. A couple danced near the fountain in the center of the plaza, oblivious to everyone around them because they were so absorbed in themselves.

The young boy dashed towards the back alley, trying not to disturb anyone in his haste. It was then that he encountered the first citizen who was also aware of the day's flaws.

A soldier sat on the ground, leaning against the stone wall. He was covered from head to toe in strong armor, and his face was hidden behind an iron helmet. In his hands he gripped a spear.

The armor hadn't been enough, it seemed. The young boy could see blood on the soldier's waist area, and the knight's breath was heavy.

"Unnngh…are you the boy from the forest…?" the soldier asked.

The young boy nodded.

"I-I-I've finally met you… I-I-I have something to t-t-tell you…"

The young boy waited, concern in his eyes. He couldn't speak; his words were locked in his throat. He wanted to ask the guard if he should call for help, but he couldn't make himself move. The solider might be dead before he returned with assistance. If that were the case, then it would be useless to worry the townsfolk. He had no choice but to wait for the knight to finish his statement.

"Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, betrayed our King… Zelda's nanny, Impa, sensed danger and escaped from the castle with our Princess… I tried to stop Ganondorf's men from chasing them…but… The Princess was…waiting for a boy from the forest…that's you… She wanted to give something to the boy. If you received it from the Princess…hurry to the Temple of Time…."

The soldier coughed and his body twitched. He collapsed and slid down the wall.

The boy's eyes widened. He was still frozen, his mind trying to understand what had just happened. From his shoulder, a blue orb fluttered into view. The orb looked like someone had made a blue ball of light and attached dragonfly wings to it.

The blue thing spoke, "He's not moving anymore…."

The boy looked at the ground. He was too late. He needed to head to the Temple of Time before more casualties occurred. He steeled his nerves and dashed through the alley, knowing exactly where he needed to be.

. . . . .

The door of the Temple of Time slid open. Written on it in Hylian was a simple message: _statue_. The wind whistled through the trees growing near and through the crumbled temple entrance. Two statues stood guard just outside the door, holding hammer-like spears. Slightly farther from them, sitting on the faded Triforce mark, was a black wolf. The beast got to its feet and raced towards the open entrance, delighted that he had finally completed the horrendous puzzle and could now enter the true Sacred Grove.

His eyes were a deep blue, and his fur was so black that it had green flecks of light in it. However, his belly, paws, and underside were white, as were the strange markings on his face. On his left front paw, he wore a thick metal cuff with a snapped chain affixed to it. Blue, ring-shaped earrings adorned his ears.

On his back sat something that appeared to be a female humanoid creature. She wore an Egyptian-styled helmet that was broken. Her orangish-red hair was tied back into a ponytail, resting in five thick sections on her neck. The ends of her hair were yellowish, and if someone were to look closely, it appeared as if her hair was hand-shaped. Her red eyes glared forward, though one of them hidden underneath her mask. Her arms were black with cyan designs spanning them like henna. Her body had what looked similar to spikes protruding from her shoulders, and smaller spikes were on her arms as well. Her stomach was white, as was her right leg. More cyan designs were on her legs and enormous black, pointed ears.

The girl and the wolf both shared the same expression: hopeful anticipation. The beast dashed into the open doorway, his eyes scanning the world. A large rock was off to his left, ivy growing off of it. Mysterious light filtered through the thick trees, and fog covered the ground up to the wolf's elbows. He was fenced in by a large hill of dirt, but that didn't matter. He could see what he had come there for in the first place, as could the girl he was with.

In the center of the Sacred Grove, a sword protruded from a stone pedestal. The handle was a light mixture of blue and purple, wrapped in a green ribbon that formed diamond shapes in the blank spots of it.

The wolf approached the blade for a closer look. The handle formed wings and had a yellow diamond-shaped gemstone with Hylian on it melded into the handle. More Hylian also spanned another part of the handle. Gold swirls rested beside the gem, and more led to the blade, running almost parallel with the Triforce design engraved in the steel. The blade itself wasn't as intricate as the handle, but it was still quite unique to say the least. It started off slightly skinny, quickly became thick and bore the mark of the Triforce, then immediately returned to being skinny. It did not become any narrower as it progressed beyond the Triforce, as far as the wolf could see.

The beast sniffed the blade, curious. It looked so intricate, but could it really be what he was sent here for? Was this really the Blade of Evil's Bane?

A yellowish light began to glow from the pedestal, reacting with the wolf. Immediately, the light blasted him back. The girl on his back went flying as she was completely knocked out of view. The wolf growled, face glowering at the ground. He could not allow himself to turn back now, not with all he'd been through previously. He still had people he needed to save…among them Princess Zelda herself. She had died for Midna—his impish companion—and him. The princess had instructed him to come here and retrieve the sword, and that was what he was going to do. He could not allow any setbacks. He needed that sword.

The wolf let out a ferocious bark, which echoed all around him. The sword glowed brighter, but the wolf was not deterred. He transitioned to a howl, his body turning vantablack. The world around him became a blinding white color, and he couldn't see anything. He was aware of little black squares bursting from his body. His curse was breaking.

Behind him, his companion held out her hand as a strange black and orange object formed from the stray black squares. She stared at it, momentarily confused, before she looked back at the wolf before her.

He was no longer a wolf. Instead, a boy of about sixteen stood there, hands resting on the hilt of the sword. He was glaring at it, grunting lightly from the effort at attempting to pull it out. The light from the pedestal had drastically died down, but it was still glowing in response to the young man. He began to lift the blade, the sound of the metal echoing as it was pulled from the stone. Then, as if it were no more difficult than walking, the young man drew the sword entirely, the light following the blade before completely fading. He examined it, holding it in his left hand.

The young man's blue eyes were lighter than the wolf's. His hair was a dirty blond color, and was parted to the left. He wore the same earrings as the wolf, and his ears were pointed like an elf's. He was clothed in a green tunic and green hat. The hat had stiches in it, as did several seams of his tunic. He wore a white shirt underneath his green garb and copper chainmail. Blue cloth adorned both of his arms, but only on his left arm did he bear a leather bracer. He wore fingerless leather gloves on his hands. He wore one belt around his waist and one around his shoulder. His pants were creamy-white, and he also wore knee-high leather boots. On his back rested a blue shield with the Hyrulian insignia on it, as well as the Triforce framed in metal.

The young man lifted the sword to the air, and the fog around his feet began to clear, racing away like ripples on a pond. His impish companion averted her gaze, appearing as if she were bowing to him. The light brightened and the world appeared much more cheerful.

The imp girl lowered her arms, which she had been using to shield herself from anything else that might have happened when her friend drew the sword. She stared at her Hylian companion, awed.

"The sword accepted you as its master…" she said.

The young man studied the blade before he test-swung it three times. He gave a look of surprise as his impish friend appeared out of his shadow and rose up in front of him. She smiled.

"This is the embodiment of evil magic Zant cast on you." She examined it disdainfully. "It's definitely different from our tribe's shadow magic…" She noticed her friend's look of curiosity, so she said, "Careful…if you touch it, you'll turn back into a beast!" She closed her tiny hand, and the object immediately disappeared. "This thing is too dangerous… It's probably for the best if we just leave it here, huh?"

The young man studied her, not sure what to make of her statement.

"But on the other hand," she said, looking up and considering her words carefully, "if we kept it, you'd be able to transform into a beast anytime you wanted…" Looking back at him, she gave him a mischievous grin. "Yes, since Zant was kind enough to give this to us, we should be thankful and use it all we can! If you need it, just call me. I want to keep a low profile so I'll hide in your shadow when you're human, but I can change you whenever. You can be a wolf anytime you like! Also, thanks to this thing, you can warp whenever you want by switching into your wolf form…"

The imp girl floated over to the young man's right shoulder and rested her hands on him. "Hey, but listen, Link. I've got a little favor to ask…"

Link directed his full attention to the girl, waiting expectantly for his companion to speak.

"Would you mind coming with me to find something called the Mirror of Twilight? It's hidden somewhere in Hyrule… Yes, the Mirror of Twilight… Our last potential link to Zant!"

Link smiled and gave her a light nod.

The girl floated away from him, looking nervous. Wordlessly, she fell into the ground and disappeared into his shadow. Link's smile faded and was replaced with his usual expression of challenge that he gave to the world. He turned around to face the way he had come from, scanning his environment one more time. Then, also wordlessly, Link raced out, heading for his new destination, wherever that may be. He and his companion had but one objective now: find the Mirror of Twilight and defeat Zant!

. . . . .

The Temple of Time was a very elaborate building. The floor near to the walls was made of grey and black marble tiles, forming a checkered pattern. However, the rest of the ground was composed of only the grey tiles, and they were tilted slightly, making diagonal lines on the ground. Stone pillars rose from the floor and supported the ceiling high above. Light filtered in through the windows, illuminating the lonely temple.

There was a slightly raised hexagon-shaped section of the floor. On it was the design of three triangles all joined at the points, with one on the top and two on the bottom, forming a pyramid. A smaller design was in the center of the triangles. At the far end of the room was an empty altar-like thing that was grey on the bottom but the color of obsidian on top. Three marks on top of it indicated that something belonged there. Hylian, the language of Hyrule, was written on the back of it. Beyond the altar, steps led to a stone door with strange markings. Above that was the image of the three triangles, known also as the Triforce. The triangles were black like the altar.

The only color in the entire room was from the two red carpets: one at the entrance and one in front of the altar. Aside from that, the entire temple was a bleak grey, reminding the boy of his mission. He and his companion, the blue orb that was obviously a fairy, raced forward. He halted in front of the altar.

The boy placed three precious stones in their rightful positions on the altar. One of them was a large, round emerald, the second was a diamond-shaped ruby, and the third was three round sapphires. All of them were wrapped in gold in different manners, but the gold was what made them even more elaborate and valuable. It was also what held the three sapphires together, forming one object instead of three.

The boy clutched the blue ocarina in his left hand before he brought it to his lips. He began to play very intricate notes, which echoed through the temple, the noise bouncing off the walls. The noise started off low, then became a different kind of low pitch, then transitioned to a slightly higher noise, before repeating the sound. He added a few more notes before he put away the ocarina and waited expectantly.

In front of him, the Triforce on the wall turned yellow and began to glow vibrantly. The large door began to tremble before it split in half and began to slide open, revealing another room.

The boy entered the new room and quickly scanned its details. Its floor was composed only of grey tiles, and thin columns clinging to the walls supported the ceiling. Light poured in from a large window far above, illuminating a certain part of the floor. Stairs led to the lit floor, and another raised hexagon could be seen. This time, in the center of the hexagon was a sword. The boy quickly raced towards it, only to be stopped by his fairy.

"Link, isn't that…?!" The fairy fluttered away from him, showing him the way to the blade. She bypassed the first set of steps, completely disregarding the multiple circular designs on the ground. She rose to the next set, showing him the black triangle in the floor that the sword was in the center of. Her light rippled across the weapon. "It's that legendary blade… The Master Sword!"

His fairy immediately returned to him and Link dashed forward, his eyes focused on the sword. He took in all of its details. It was unlike any sword he'd ever seen, including the one sheathed on his back. The handle was dark blue with a tint of purple, and had a unique grip. The guard formed what appeared to be wings, and a yellow diamond-shaped stone was melded with the blade. The blade's shape was also different from any other sword. It started off relatively thin before it quickly widened out, as if someone had cut from its sides. The blade then began to narrow back down. It was buried in a pedestal with the Triforce emblazoned on it.

Link put his hands around the sword. This was what he needed. This was what he was instructed to take…by the Princess of Hyrule herself! He gripped it tightly, concentrating. His shoulders tensed and he tore the blade from its pedestal, lifting it high into the air. His fairy fluttered near him, watching him closely.

Light burst forth from the ground around the sword. The Triforce on the floor turned blue and also shined intensely.

Then, without warning, the world turned white. The boy was aware of something that should have been beyond his consciousness. A man that looked to be in his early twenties was standing in the blinding light, grinning. On his forehead, he wore a yellow gemstone with chains spreading back into his vibrant red hair. His thick eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, or perhaps they connected; it was hard to tell. He wore a black outfit with segments of brown and white. Several gold objects protruded from sections of his outfit.

His gold eyes had a menacing look to them, and his smile was cold. His arms were folded and he was laughing maniacally. Link could even discern that the man had human ears that were pierced twice with gold earrings.

"Geh, heh, heh!" the stranger chuckled. "Excellent work! As I thought, you held the keys to the Door of Time! You have led me to the gates of the Sacred Realm… Yes, I owe it all to you, kid!" With that, he laughed once more before the entire world became nothing more than a white glare.

Link could do nothing. With a shock, he realized that the world around him was fading to a startling black, but he was helpless to stop it. He began to feel faint. His eyes closed and darkness flooded his vision.

. . . . .

Link stared down at the pedestal, reading the words on it, which made no sense. He looked to the sword in his hand, and then back at the ground. He took two steps forward and thrust the blade down, returning it to its rightful place. How long had it been since he had drawn this blade? He couldn't remember, but he guessed it to be only a few days, a week at the latest. Even so, he needed to fix the Mirror of Twilight, and to do that, he needed access to the Temple of Time.

Link heard a strange noise. He redrew the blade from its pedestal before sheathing it and running outside. He had entered the Sacred Grove with some struggle, but the inner area of the forest he had walked into without so much as a peep from any monsters. Now, however, he had the misfortune of encountering his dreaded foes, the Twilit Messengers.

There were five of the ugly brutes. Pillars had rained from the sky and fenced Link in the moment he had touched the Triforce mark on the ground. Now, as he glared forward, he watched the five beasts slam into the ground, unharmed. They were humanoid, and although they were as large as horses, they chose to crawl around like toddlers, using their oversized arms to drag themselves forward. Red markings, similar in design to Link's impish companion's cyan ones, traced their way across the Messengers' bodies. Tentacle-like cords stuck out of their spine, as well as their horrifying shield-shaped faces.

But Link was used to battling these creatures. He had encountered them so many times that, though they were still threatening, he knew how to kill them, which made his fear void. He drew his sword and shield and began attacking the beasts, taking on one at a time before turning to face the final remaining two. Bats swarmed at his body, so he bashed them aside, causing several to explode in a puff of dust. Link leapt to the side as one of the Messengers swung its oversized arm at him. The second one merely waited, watching the Hylian Hero closely.

Seizing his opportunity, Link immediately spun in a circle, his blade slicing through the two monsters, causing them to collapse. The remaining bats Link had missed quickly fled from him. The monsters on the ground burst into little black squares, which floated up to the sky and formed a cyan-and-black portal far above.

Link sheathed his blade and ran to a hole in the wall far in front of him.

The Sacred Grove looked like it had been a nice place at one point in time. Stairs would have provided Link easier access to his destination, but they were crumbled and dangerous. They were incredibly tall, as if someone had piled up the remains on top of each other, making Link unable to climb up due to the fact that the debris was taller than he was. But it didn't matter. After all, a hole in the wall had opened up some time ago, and he was able to climb up the remains of that, instead.

He did not move just yet, however. Instead, he studied his surroundings. He wanted to remember what this place looked like, in case this was the final time he saw it, as he did not know what would await him through the doors he had unblocked.

High walls rose up, piercing the sky, broken and decrepit. Ivy and trees sprouted from one wall, leading to a path Link had traveled through once. The walls were so high that, if Link had a giant bird, he was certain that he would have been able to fly it around in the temple if it was still in good condition. Large windows would have allowed light to stream through them. A broken balcony with bent railing jutted sharply from the walls above Link: his destination. The stairs would have led him to it, but now he had to run the old-fashioned way there.

Link darted into the hole in the wall and climbed a pile of odd debris before he climbed onto a higher section of ground, watching the small birds in front of him flutter away. He turned his attention on the balcony, glaring at the double doors that led to nothing. A statue, much like the two in front of the main part of the temple, once barred the way of the doors; now that Link had struck the pedestal of the Master Sword, it was gone. He approached the doors, taking note of the Triforce insignia and Hylian on them.

To Link's surprise, the doors began to open by themselves. He stared at them, wondering what was happening, but retaining a good poker face. The world beyond the doors shimmered a strange color, washing the world in a black-and-white hue. Regardless of the oddity, Link approached the doors and entered them, not allowing himself to turn back. He had to fix the Mirror; there was no other way to restore Hyrule to peace.

He entered the building and looked around, curious. The world wavered before his eyes, dancing like a mirage. It was slowly beginning to clear for him.

Behind him, the doors rumbled, then closed, erasing all traces that the Hylian Hero had ever been there.

 **A/N: A little requirement…if I don't get any reviews then I won't bother with the next chapter, which is where it gets really, really good (at least, in my opinion…) because Link meets Sheik. I'm fine with corrections and suggestions, but y'all will have to be nice because I don't like destructive criticism…and you people don't like it either when you get it, I know that. So be nice…ish. Yeah.**


	2. The Wrong Hero

**A/N: A few little announcements. First off, thank you all so much for your reviews! I really appreciated them! Especially the person who was really excited to read this chapter. Also, I did used to have asterisks to separate the Links, but fanfiction decided, "nah!" So, I fixed that. Secondly, I do not own the Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, or their stuff. Thirdly, does anyone want to know the reason why ONLY these two Links were permitted to meet each other. I have a theory and I would love to tell y'all, but I won't bother if none of you care. Anyway, that's all. Enjoy!**

Chapter One

The Wrong Hero

"I'll get you out of here. You're sure there's nothing else for you to do, right?"

The Hero of Twilight nodded at his impish companion. She vanished in her portal on the ground and Link walked onto it in her place. His body began to dissolve into black squares, disappearing from view.

He reformed at the Master Sword's pedestal in Temple of Time. He had but one fragment of the Mirror of Twilight left to collect before he could enter the Twilight Realm and destroy Zant. He was so close to the end of his journey that he could almost taste victory…if victory had a flavor, that is.

Link walked away from the pedestal and began to head back to his home in present-day Hyrule. He wasn't sure how far back in time he had traveled in order to see the Temple of Time in all of its magnificent glory, but it had to have been a couple centuries. The windows around the pedestal of the Master Sword were all made of stained glass. The ground was even a slight golden color. Behind him, blue transparent stairs glowed, strangely able to be walked upon. All around him, the walls were made of massive stone blocks that were pressed tightly together so the lines in them were almost unseen. Thick, ornate columns held up the ceiling far above him.

As he dashed out, Link saw even more detail. The two statues were now in near-perfect condition, and the floor around them was covered in designs. The walls had large amounts of Hylian scrawled across them on both sides. On the walls far in front of him, beside the stairs that were crumbled in present-day Hyrule, Link saw two owl statues. He now had the power to move them, but it wasn't really the time for him to do that; he had more pressing matters weighing on his mind.

The windows were enormously tall, but they were made of ordinary glass, unlike the windows near the Master Sword's pedestal. More columns held up the roof, bracing the walls. The stairs were Link's only concern, however. He needed to get outside, back in present-day Hyrule.

Link ran up the steps, bypassing their elaborate balcony rails. He focused on the two doors before him and waited eagerly.

Nothing happened.

Link stood there, confused. He rested his left hand on the door, pushing gently. It was as if someone had blocked him inside. He touched his ear on one door, listening. He could hear a strange noise, but he was unable to interpret where he had heard it before. It sounded like stone boulders sliding around…doors becoming warped from pressure…

Link took a step back, then dashed forward and threw his entire body weight into the door. Still nothing happened. The Hylian Hero shook his head, unable to understand. He tended to goats for a living and wrestled them when they got out of control. He had lifted enormous weights and pushed heavy objects around like they were nothing. He blew up boulders and occasionally himself. He'd been crushed, and he was able to bear immensely heavy objects. He even _owned_ objects that could break his bones with a single mishap.

So the fact that these double doors had locked him inside was surprising. Surely, he could bust them open if the need arose…right?

Link placed both hands in the doors and began to push. Still nothing happened. He was becoming worried. What if the temple had finished collapsing in present-day Hyrule and had locked him inside? That wouldn't be good. He would die of old age before he ever made it back to his time. He might even end up like The Hero's Shade: a decomposing skeleton waiting to teach the next generation of heroes but having to wait a long time to do so.

A horrifying thought occurred to Link. What if he _was_ The Hero's Shade? Maybe he couldn't get in contact with all future heroes because he was locked in the Temple of Time and waiting for it to become nothingness.

Link couldn't allow that to happen. He couldn't allow himself to wait around and rot. Besides, Shade was a knight, and Link wasn't. That very thought relieved him, until he remembered that there were ways for people to make knights' armor from monster armor. He could end up getting bored one day and fashioning it for himself. What if even more monsters appeared and killed him here?

Gritting his teeth, Link chased out his negative thoughts. They were nothing but pathetic fears. He uttered a small command under his breath. "Midna…help."

From his shadow rose the mysterious imp girl. She noticed him struggling and yawned. "Step aside, Link," she commanded.

Link took two steps to the left and Midna took his place. Her orange hair began to move. Link watched as it became a giant hand that slammed into the doors. Midna looked bored for a moment before she realized that, despite her efforts, the doors still weren't opening.

However, horrifyingly, her hair-hand _was_ yielding results, but not the kind either of them were expecting. Instead, the world was beginning to glow around them, flickering dangerously.

Midna pushed harder on the door before giving Link a hopeless look. "I don't understand!" she said. "Why won't it open? Even with this?"

The glow intensified and began to feel increasingly warm. Link had never been claustrophobic—he'd crawled through tight spaces every time he needed access to a certain location and there was no other way in—but he guessed that the pressure he was feeling on his body was something like being crushed. He'd experienced the same sensation when Midna grabbed him with her hair-hand.

But there was nothing crushing him, nor was the room small enough to give him such a feeling. Even so, it was becoming painfully obvious that he needed to leave the door before something terrible happened.

Link grabbed Midna and pulled her close to him, causing her to hide her hair-hand. She gave him a confused expression as he spun around and dashed down the stairs. He couldn't get away from the feeling of pain, but now it was like he was being burned, rather than crushed.

"What are you doing?" Midna asked. She didn't squirm, but allowed Link to keep carrying her. It saved her the energy of floating after him. Besides, she could feel the same strange sensation that he was. Even so, she was still loyal to her home. If she couldn't return to present-day Hyrule, how would she ever save her people? She would die before she made it back to Twilight. "We have to get through that door!"

"I don't believe we can!" Link replied. He kept running, heading back to the entrance into the dungeon area of the Temple of Time. How far back did he have to go?

"But…the Twilis…!"

"I'm sorry…" Link dashed into the area where he'd been warped to earlier. The feeling began to subside, which relieved him, but the comfort was short-lived. All around him, the glow intensified, blinding him completely. He looked in all directions before closing his eyes and covering Midna's with his free hand. He could still see the flash through his eyelids, which now appeared red to him. The light became even more blinding before it faded to nothingness. Link opened his eyes and looked around, blinking. What had happened?

He scanned the world. He was still standing on the raised platform which held the Master Sword's pedestal, but it looked different now. It now had stairs leading up to it in all directions, rather than just one, and was composed of two sections of raised ground. The one on which he stood had the image of the Triforce on it, but it was now onyx-colored. Round patterns decorated the second raised ground. Multiple different designs were in each circle, and Link tried to identify where he had seen them before.

"Are those…?" Midna muttered in his arms. She left Link and floated over to one, studying it. "The patterns of the sages' medallions that they stood on when we met them?"

She was right. Link walked around, studying each design. He looked around the room, trying to discern any other alterations. He found several.

The pillars that held the room up were significantly thinner and less ornate. They were made of grey brick and blended in with the walls. The windows were no longer stained glass and were high above Link, only visible if he looked up. The floor was made of either bricks or marble tiles; he couldn't tell. And, the final finishing touch on the oddity was that the Master Sword's pedestal no longer had Hylian on it. Rather, a black Triforce decorated it instead.

"Is this even the Temple of Time anymore?" Midna asked, voicing the question Link had been thinking. "I leave it to you to find out…" Midna floated over to Link before dropping into his shadow and vanishing from view.

Link turned back to the way he had come from. He began to walk off the raised section of the floor, only to stop in his tracks. He heard something…or someone. He glanced behind him, stunned to find that he was no longer alone.

Behind him stood a figure with blonde hair parted in a similar manner to his, but it covered the left eye of the stranger. Only the figure's right eye could be seen, and it was red. White, scarf-like bandages hid the stranger's face. The intruder appeared to be male, and he wore a blue, skin-tight outfit that emphasized his muscles. The center of the figure's outfit was white with a red eye design on the front. It had three empty triangles on top of the eye shape, and a teardrop mark led all the way to the figure's stomach. Bandages were wrapped around the male's wrists and fingers. He wore strange blue shoes that reminded Link of socks, but the big toes of them were grey colored.

Link drew his sword and shield, eyes narrowing. He scowled and faced the intruder, preparing for battle. If this person was the reason he couldn't leave, then he had to fix that. He didn't really want to fight a human being, but if this person was going to stop his quest, then the stranger was against the thought of Hyrule's restoration, and that meant that Link wasn't allowed to spare him.

"I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time," the figure said.

Link was stunned. He wasn't the Hero of Time; he was the Hero of Twilight… Did this person have their facts wrong? That would be a first: a clumsy bad guy finding the wrong person or calling the right person by the wrong name. Then again, most monsters and human-like monsters didn't talk to Link, so it usually wasn't a problem. Even so, he left his weapons drawn, not taking any chances.

"When evil rules all, an awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call those destined to be Sages, who dwell in the five temples."

Link became filled with dread. Perhaps this person was good after all, but needed his help. Honestly though, _five temples_ weren't something he wanted to adventure through. He'd already battled through five and only had two or three left if he was lucky. These little extras weren't part of the plan.

Surely if this issue had never arisen in present-day Hyrule, it had been solved before, right? Or had Link been required to fix the issue even in the past? Maybe…

The stranger's words were still weighing on his mind, though. What did he mean when he called Link the "Hero of Time"? Was there another Hero?

"One in a deep forest…" the stranger continued.

 _Please don't…_ Link thought. If he was getting instructions on how to locate the Sages, then there was a serious problem. He would have to locate them before he could return home.

"One on a high mountain…"

 _Those sound like the Sacred Grove and Death Mountain…but I already cleared those locations…_ Link thought.

"One under a vast lake…"

 _Lake Hylia…_

"One within the house of the dead…"

Link stood there, dumbfounded. The only location he could think to match such a place was the Kakariko Graveyard, but it wasn't exactly a house.

"One inside a goddess of the sand…"

 _I know of three of those locations,_ Link thought. _The final two I've never encountered._ He knew he would have to wait for the stranger to leave before consulting Midna for advice, so he waited patiently, trying not to let his troubling thoughts overtake him.

"Together, with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world… This is the legend of the temples passed down by my people, the Sheikah. I am Sheik, survivor of the Sheikahs… As I see you standing there holding the mythical Master Sword, you really do look like the legendary Hero of Time…"

 _Ah, so I only look like the Hero…_

"If you believe the legend, you have no choice. You must look for the five temples and awaken the five Sages…. One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl I'm sure you know… Because of the evil power in the temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm… Unfortunately, equipped as you currently are, you cannot even enter the temple… But, if you believe what I'm saying, you should head to Kakariko Village… Do you understand what I'm saying, Link?"

Link remained completely still. How did this "Sheik" person know his name? Was that part of the legend, too? He couldn't dwell on it. He was clearly the Hero that this person was searching for, even if some of Sheik's information was slightly skewed. He was entrusted with the fate of past-day Hyrule's affairs, whether he liked it or not.

Fortunately, it wasn't as if the Twilight Realm could die while he was trapped in this strange Temple of Time. For all Link knew, Twilight wasn't even a real place yet. Midna had told him something about her ancestors being chased into it, and someone else—probably Auru—had told him that the Mirror was created for punishment of Hyrule's most foul enemies.

From that information alone, Link could conclude that Twilight was safe, for now. Time wouldn't move while he was stuck in the past. He could stay here for years and it probably wouldn't even become a new hour in present-day Hyrule. Regardless, he could become an old man down here, and how would he save Hyrule then? Would Ilia even recognize him? Would Zelda? If worst came to worst, Link could always save Hyrule with Midna and then try and find some way to change what the world had done to him.

With a sigh, Link sheathed his weapons and turned around. Perhaps the door was now open for him to leave, and he could get these dungeons over with and return home. He was slightly curious about what Hyrule looked like in the past, and now was the perfect opportunity to find out. He entered the next part of the temple and looked around.

It was nothing like the Temple of Time he had been in earlier. There were two doors barely peeking out from the wall near him, and the ground was made of marble tiles. An altar stood before him, so Link ran over to examine it. He caught a glance at the door he had come from when he faced the front of the altar. He saw a glowing gold Triforce on the wall above it, but was forced to disregard it as he studied the altar. Three precious stones were before him, hovering above the altar slightly. Link spun around, noticing that he stood on red carpet and that there was more near the entrance, but no other colors adorned the world.

Windows allowed soft light in the room, but it was incredibly dark for a temple. Pillars braced the walls and supported the ceiling, composed of stone bricks. The walls were also stone. The ceiling was still high above Link, but not nearly as elegant as it looked in the Temple of Time.

Link began to walk forward, thoroughly confused. Where was he?

No longer able to keep silent but not wanting to be heard by Sheik, Midna whispered from Link's shadow, "What are you going to do, Link?"

Link wasn't sure. He had to get out this foreign place and finish saving the world, but how was he supposed to do that when he had no idea where he was, nor did he know how he'd gotten there in the first place? He had to find those Sages or he'd never be able to leave. Even then, it might not be possible for him to return home, but he didn't say that.

"I…will search for the Sages…then I'll assist you, Midna," Link quietly replied. He began to walk towards the exit far ahead of him, seeing nothing but blackness ahead but not turning back. "I'll do my best to ensure that we defeat Zant, but I believe this is the only way home…"

He stepped on the raised hexagon shape, then passed over it without so much as a second glance. Instead, he walked out of the room, disappearing into the blackness.

. . . . .

"Link…" a voice called in the darkness. "Wake up… Link, the chosen one…"

The Hero of Time's eyes slowly opened. Around him, he saw nothing but blue. He blinked, wondering if his eyes were giving out, or if the world really was just changing in blue variations. After a moment, he knew it was the world changing hues. He realized that he was looking down, so he raised his head. He saw something purple in the left corner of his eye, and something orange and gold in the right corner. The dark blue walls far away from him rippled like water. He saw something like a blue column that had a grey light illuminating it, but it was empty.

Link looked up and noticed several more lights coming from nowhere. The ceiling was so high he couldn't even see it from where he stood. He began to look back down and noticed that the blue floor he stood on was a raised platform so tall that he couldn't see the ground anywhere. In front of him was a green, raised, flat circle. He looked to the left and spotted something he hadn't expected to see.

He saw another person. It was a man, and he wore orange robes with a red sash around the waist. The front of his outfit was also red, but he had white designs on part of it. He had almost no hair, but the hair he did have was snowy white. He had a thick mustache that lead to his sideburns. A ponytail was the only hair he had on top of his head, and his white eyebrows were thinning.

The man spoke. "I am Rauru, one of the ancient Sages… Ages ago, we ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the entrance to the Sacred Realm… This is the Chamber of Sages, inside the Temple of Light. The Temple of Light, situated in the very center of the Sacred Realm, is the last stronghold against Ganondorf's evil forces."

Link said nothing, waiting for the stranger to finish his explanation of this place.

"The Master Sword—the evil-destroying sword that you pulled out of the Pedestal of Time—was the final key to the Sacred Realm. Link… Don't be alarmed… Look at yourself…!"

Link glanced down before his eyes widened and he began to examine himself. He was stunned. He still wore the same outfit, which was good, but now he had leather gauntlets and wore white tights and a white shirt. The Master Sword was sheathed on his back, which was strange since he had never found a sheath. Perhaps this Rauru person had given it to him…

His fairy excitedly bounced up and down, illuminating his body with her blue glow. "Look, Link!" she exclaimed. "You're big now! You've grown up!"

Link wasn't sure what to say to that. He felt like a stranger in his own body. What had happened to him to make him grow up like this?

Rauru continued his exposition. "The Master Sword is a sacred blade which evil ones may never touch…. Only one worthy of the title 'Hero of Time' can pull it from the Pedestal of Time…. However, you were too young to be the Hero of Time…. Therefore, your spirit was sealed here for seven years."

 _Seven years?!_ Link mentally demanded, but his words were locked in his throat. He could not voice his disbelief.

"And now that you are old enough, it is time for you to awaken as the Hero of Time! Well, do you understand your destiny?"

Link remembered how to speak. In a quiet voice that was much deeper than he remembered it being, he said, "Yes."

Rauru gave him a pleasant look before continuing, "But remember… Though you opened the Door of Time in the name of peace…Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, used it to enter this forbidden Sacred Realm! He obtained the Triforce from the Temple of Light, and with its power, he became the King of Evil… His evil power radiated from the temples of Hyrule, and in seven short years, it transformed Hyrule into a world of monsters."

 _It already had monsters when I was littler…_ Link thought. _How many more will plague Hyrule now that I'm an adult?_

"My power now has only little influence, even in this Sacred Realm… Namely, this Chamber of Sages. But there is still hope… The power of the Sages remains."

Link began to feel relieved. So there would be a way to save the world, even if he had accidentally screwed things up.

"When the power of all the Sages is awakened…" Rauru paused dramatically. "The Sages' seals will contain all the evil power in the void of the Realm… I, Rauru, am one of the Sages… And…"

Link waited, body beginning to tense with excitement.

"Your power to fight together with the Sages makes you the Hero of Time! The Hero of Time, chosen by the Master Sword!"

 _Chosen…_ Link mentally repeated, feeling anxious, excited, and nervous all in one.

Rauru still wasn't finished. "Keep my spirit with you…" he instructed. "And, find the power of the other Sages and add their might to your own!" With those words, Rauru lifted his arms to the sky, and Link looked up in response.

The Hero of Time saw a light glow from the sky before he saw a glimmer of gold pierce the darkness. A gold medallion drifted into his hands, hovering slightly above him.

 _I've received the Light Medallion!_ Link thought excitedly. _Rauru the Sage adds his power to my own!_

The world around Link and his fairy began to shimmer. A blinding light descended upon them, and Link heard Rauru speak once more.

"Find the other Sages and save Hyrule!"

The light faded to darkness and Link saw nothing. Then, he caught a glimpse of a blue light racing towards the heavens all around him. Barely in front of him, his fairy fluttered soundlessly.

Link took a step forward and realized he was in the Temple of Time, but nothing appeared different since he had last stood inside it, as a child.

"Link…we're back in the Temple of Time…" his fairy whispered. "But have seven years really passed?"

Link wasn't sure either. The only difference he could see was the position of the light on the ground. It looked like it had moved two inches. That was all.

"It looks like you won't be able to use some of the weapons you found as a kid anymore…" his fairy said. Her gentle voice seemed to be swallowed by the vastness of the temple. "Let's get out of here!"

Link never got the chance. He turned around to find a figure he'd never met before.

The person appeared male and wore a blue, skintight outfit. Around his mouth, hair, wrists, and fingers, he wore tattered bandages, but the ones around his mouth were looser than the rest. The front part of his outfit was white with a red, crying eye symbol painted on it. He had blonde hair slightly darker than Link's, but not too much of a difference. It was parted in such a way that it hid his left eye, but his right eye could still be seen. It was red, like the eye on his outfit.

The figure's eye was open wide, as if he hadn't expected to see Link. "How…?" he muttered. What Link could see of his expression, which wasn't much, seemed to read, _Maybe I blacked out…or planned this wrong…or..._

The man began to speak, but he was clearly disorganized. "I've been w-waiting for you…Hero of T-Time…"

Link wasn't sure what to make of the stranger. Was he a friend? A foe? Deciding not to take any chances, Link drew his weapons and glared at the stranger.

"When evil rules all, an awakened voice from the Sacred Realm will…" The man shook his head. He struggled with his words for a moment before finally regaining his composure. "An awakened voice will call those destined to be Sages, who dwell in the five temples."

Link took a closer step forward to the figure. He said nothing, but he wanted to know what the stranger was telling him.

Once again, a thoroughly-confused Sheik explained to Link what he was supposed to be doing. He managed to retain his poker face for the rest of the conversation. He even told the Hero of Time the exact same words he had said to a stunned Hero of Twilight.

With new information, Link dashed away from Sheik and raced for the exit. He did stop a few times to examine the Temple of Time before concluding that it was the exact same as before, save for a few changes in shadow positions because of the time.

"What are you going to do?" Link's fairy inquired. "Will you trust this stranger, Sheik?"

"I've no choice," Link replied, still not used to his new voice. He dashed for the exit, not allowing a single second to slip away. "I believe him, Navi, so I must go to Kakariko Village and find this…this item."

"Good plan!" Navi agreed. She fluttered over to his shoulder and disappeared in the folds of his clothes.

Link stepped into the outside world, where he was met with a scenery he never expected to see. Before him stretched a barren wasteland. The Sheikah Stones were still where they usually rested, which was relieving, but the world around him was dark and scary. The wind no longer graced the world, singing as it touched the ground, but instead howled as it tore through the streets. It was bitter and hot, like it had come straight from the dreaded Dodongo's Cavern he had visited as a child.

Behind the Temple of Time, surrounded by a ring of flame, was Death Mountain. Link was disappointed to see that the grass around him had turned a dark, unhealthy color. The trees were nothing but black-trunked skeletons, and the concrete barrier that once held water was now barren, dark soil. The tall, thick tree he was used to seeing every time he walked out of the Temple of Time was no more than a little shrub, and the fence that used to enclose it was now battered and broken, lying on the ground in a heap. In fact, all the fences that once stood tall and defiant were now either destroyed or nowhere to be found. Even the surrounding buildings were beginning to crumble.

Horrified at the scenery, Link and Navi tentatively exited the Temple of Time. Seeing that they were alone, Link allowed himself to think. He only had one question.

 _What in the world happened to Hyrule?_

. . . . .

 **A/N: I'm still working on the third chapter, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to upload it soon because I have school I'm working on... But, I will try my best! I really love reading y'all's reviews, even if they are sometimes brief, and I hope y'all will continue to post them.**


	3. The Shaft of Death

**A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing this story. I have no idea who you are, Guest, but you took the time to read my previous Author's Note, and I'm very appreciative. So, you'll get to read my little theory. But first, to avoid issues with Nintendo, I do not own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, or any of their stuff. This story is merely a wishful fanfiction.**

 **Alright, Guest, here's the theory for you. In Twilight Princess, you get the Master Sword around the middle of the game, then you return to the Temple of Time in the past and sheathe the Master Sword to create those blue steps and access the dungeon section of the Temple. STOP! You've gone to far. Notice how you returned to the past and yet the Master Sword is missing? You drew it from the present...yet it's gone from the past? We all know that Link is the only one who can draw the sacred blade, so one of the Heroes has to have it. The most likely is Ocarina of Time Link, but due to the fact that it would be incredibly inconvenient if the two Heroes were to encounter one another, I believe OoT Link was asleep...hence this. The game itself would also kinda allow this because Hero's Shade is OoT Link and the Hero is always reincarnated. Reincarnation involves moving the spirit to a new body, yet there are two Hero's Spirits roaming Hyrule simultaneously... OoT Link and TP Link. They would have existed at the same time before because of when you enter the Temple of Time. Both of them were alive...so what's stopping them from meeting again? This could be why only these two Links meet. I wanted a fanfiction of this but I seemed to be the only one who realized this...so...I made the fanfic. That's the theory. Sorry it's so long. But anyway, enjoy the chapter! EDIT: I finally understand what you meant, Guest, when you said this theory wouldn't work... But I still wanna know who has the Master Sword in TP Link's past! I think it's some sort of adventure OoT Link went on that we don't know of... His DEATH journey!**

Chapter Two

The Shaft of Death

Link had no idea what to make of past-day Hyrule. The moment he'd entered the barren wasteland, he had tripped over himself from surprise and was forced to do a double-take. Needless to say, he couldn't believe how much better Hyrule looked in his time, rather than this one.

"No wonder that Sheik character asked your help," Midna said. She rose out of Link's shadow and rested on his shoulder. "This place is a nightmare!"

Link couldn't argue with that. He couldn't blame the mysterious Sheikah for his strange behavior. If present-day Hyrule looked like this and Link couldn't fix it, he would definitely search for the person who could. He tried to understand what this place once looked like, but he was unable to come up with an answer. Partly because the image was so ghastly he wanted to run off and make sure he never came back, and partly because of the screaming monsters all around him.

When the first piercing shriek arose, Link's first thought was, _Unhgh! What was that?!_ His body immediately locked up and he stood there, completely defenseless, frozen in shock. It reminded him of a gibdos scream, but much more shrill and terrifying. It was as if a woman was wailing in agony, like she was being brutally murdered. Even Midna didn't like the sound, and instead dropped into Link's shadow: to safety.

Then, to Link's horror, the most hideous and frightening creature began to walk towards him. Its appearance was similar to what Link guessed people looked like when they didn't eat. Leathery skin covered its body, and its bones protruded sharply from its body. Its ribs were outside of its skin, showing Link the creature's skeleton. He couldn't tell if what he was seeing around its waist was part of its body, like its veins or intestines, or if it was just something else the creature had stumbled upon. He didn't want to know.

But, the most horrifying thing about the monster wasn't its voice or body, or even its face—which looked like a wooden mask with empty holes for eyes and a single hole to expose its teeth. Instead, the most horrendous thing was what the creature did. Link wasn't sure what was happening until the thing leapt onto his body, almost dragging him to the ground from its weight. It didn't look like it was very heavy, but it had to have weighed the same amount as an Ordon goat. It wrapped around Link in such a way that he couldn't even free his arms.

Then came the pain. The thing bit down onto his skull, forcing a yelp from Link, who reached up and took hold of its wooden face.

"Get off of me!" he snarled, tearing it off of his body and throwing it to the ground in front of him. He began to repeatedly slice at the thing, blood dripping from the wound on his head. He wouldn't allow it to do that to him again. His body was trembling from the shock of being bitten. Was that the first time that a humanoid monster his size had tried to eat him? He couldn't remember. He was too busy trying to keep himself safe.

The monster collapsed back to the ground, lying there for an agonizingly long time. The only noise Link could hear was his own panting, the groans of the other monsters, the angry wind howling, and the constant dripping of his blood to the cobblestone ground. He glared at the monster on the ground, now holding his breath in anticipation.

The monster took its dear sweet time before finally exploding. Link took note of the single green rupee left on the ground in front of him. It looked slightly different than he was used to, but that was fine. He slipped it into his pouch nonetheless and turned to study his surroundings.

All around him, the world of Hyrule lay in ruins. In every direction, he saw decrepit buildings with peeling paint and fading reddish-orange roofs. Some houses had even collapsed entirely and now blocked off a path from him. Other buildings were no more than wooden-beam skeletons. He couldn't tell if one structure was burned or not, but he supposed it didn't matter.

The ground was the color of ash mixed with soot, and the fountain was completely dry and cracking. Several wooden piles lay strewn about. Dark clouds rolled lazily overhead, blotting out the light of the world. The wind continued raging through the streets.

Link noticed a path far away from him, seemingly leading to freedom. He quickly dashed down it. He wanted to get away from this nightmare, and he wanted to do so before he became an old man.

Midna didn't even protest at the fact that they were getting farther and farther away from the only way back to present-day Hyrule. Perhaps she was thinking about her fellow Twilis, silently mourning for them. Or, just maybe, she had decided to think about the residents of this world. After all, this Hyrule occurred before Twilight was even created…right? She would definitely be considering everything about it, no doubt searching for the reason of her ancestors' banishment.

Link passed by a wooden door before stopping. This was the only building he had seen that even looked remotely stable. He opened the door and closed it behind him, finding himself in a strange room. The floor and walls were made of grey bricks, and several purposeless walls jutted out on his right side. Around twenty pots littered the floor, uselessly lying around. Link would have rushed forward to smash them but he realized he was not alone. He glared forward at the stranger in the room.

The figure wore tattered cream-colored robes and a purple hooded cloak. Around his waist was a sash-like belt with the Triforce and a few other strange markings on it. His face was hidden by his outfit, and all Link could see of it was a single, red glowing orb in the center of the darkness. The stranger sat on a bed, kicking his feet, and that red orb was focused eagerly on Link. Above the figure was a cage mounted to the wall, and multi-colored flames blazed above him, some beginning to burn away from their imprisonment.

With a jolt, Link realized something horrifying: the flames had _faces_! He had never seen such a mysterious thing before, and it wasn't pleasant to see it now. Link tensed up, eyes glaring forward at the strange person and his odd company.

The creature across from Link spoke, his voice unlike anything the Hero of Twilight had ever heard. "Oh…you are quite an energetic young man. You're brave and handsome, too."

Link stood there awkwardly. Was he supposed to fight this person? Smash his pots? Turn and leave him alone for all eternity? He wasn't sure.

"Heh, heh, heh, your name is Link, isn't it," the thing asked, but his words were more a statement than a question. "Heh, heh, he…don't be surprised. I can read people's minds."

Link stood there, dumbfounded. He hadn't even been thinking his name. Suddenly, he looked down at his shadow, a realization dawning on him. Could this creature be reading Midna's mind as well?

The creature startled Link out of his thoughts by saying, "If I looked as good as you, I could run a different kind of business…heh he heh…"

 _What?!_ Link thought, looking at the creature. He was obviously stunned, and this thing— person, whatever it was—knew it too.

"My shop is the only Ghost Shop in Hyrule. Because of the Great Ganondorf, it is a fine time for a business like this…heh, heh, heh..."

 _Ganondorf?_ Link wondered. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at this mysterious shopkeeper. _How could that person ever be great? He's horrible and cruel…_

"Oh…I can only hope the world gets even worse!" the thing said, making Link feel even more anxious. "The ghosts, called Poes, are spirits of concentrated hatred that appear in the fields and graveyard. They hate the world!"

 _Only in fields and graveyards?_ Link wondered. How was that possible? He'd seen them everywhere they pleased! They tended to avoid people, but were incredibly ferocious around them. They only came out at night, but they could appear anywhere they wanted to. If the location they occupied was far from civilization of any kind, then the ghosts were known to be present at all times. They also enjoyed dark or bleak locations that imitated nighttime, so Link tended to hunt for them whenever he wasn't collecting bugs for the Princess of the Insect Kingdom, Agitha.

"Young man," the shopkeeper in front of him started, "if you catch a Poe, I will pay a lot of money for it… Heh, heh, hee!"

Above the shopkeeper, the flames began to completely escape their confinement. The shopkeeper swung his stick, and above him, the escaping flames quickly shot back into their cage. His lack of additional words told Link that the strange creature was done talking to him. That didn't matter. Link began tentatively smashing the pots around the room, looking for rupees and health; anything that could possibly be beneficial to him, he was going to bring along. The shopkeeper didn't mind, either. In fact, the creature seemed to like chaos, which was exactly what Link was causing.

After destroying all the pots, Link headed back outside, relieved to be away from the strange shopkeeper. The wind hurt his face, but he didn't mind. He was no longer in the same building as that creature, which he found pleasant. He continued heading for the outside world, trying to distance himself as far as he could from the crumbling town and the monsters that plagued it.

Why was Hyrule in such turmoil, anyway? What had caused this disaster? Perhaps if Link had explored the town further, he could have found the answers to his questions, but when it was only inhabited by monsters that wanted to eat his face or mimic his appearance for a "different kind of business", he decided there was no way to learn any information from the crumbling city. He would simply have to head to Kakariko and hope someone there could explain the situation to him.

But that raised another question in his mind. Where exactly was Kakariko? His map of present-day Hyrule was completely useless. The terrain here was unlike what he was used to seeing, and there was no way for him to know where to go.

"Midna," Link called softly.

"What is it, Link?" came the reply. Midna appeared out of Link's shadow, waiting patiently in front of him.

"Speak," Link commanded. "Where do you believe we need to go?"

Midna considered that. She looked around and said, "Well…the terrain here isn't anything like our Hyrule… I'm sorry. I don't know. Maybe you should wander around and explore until you find someone to ask."

"It couldn't hurt," Link agreed.

Midna nodded and dropped back into Link's shadow.

Link scanned his surroundings. Past-day Hyrule had probably seen better times. The grass was trampled and yellowed. The sky was covered in sand-colored clouds. He could see a well-worn path leading far ahead of him, but he wasn't ready to follow it just yet. It ran alongside a tall wall of dirt and stone, which could probably house civilization. Link could go there if his search for Kakariko was unfruitful.

To the Hero of Twilight's right stood some trees and a tall boulder he could doubtlessly blow up, but he didn't see such a need. To his left he spotted the first thing he found truly useful: a stone bridge spanning a watery gap. He had noticed the collapsed drawbridge behind him was underwater because of the stream that surrounded the town, but he hadn't bothered considering where it might lead to. If someone had taken the time building the stone bridge, then it was safe to assume that people resided there and wanted to continue trading with anyone that they could retain business with.

Link headed in the direction of the bridge, noticing stairs far ahead that could lead to a town. He dashed across the stone arch and trotted up the steps with ease, his eyes taking note of the tall, fiery mountain barely peeking into his view.

 _Is that Death Mountain?_ Link wondered. He entered the town, his eyes absorbing the scenery. In front of him was a high fence with a sign strung between two poles. There was no gate, which was surprising. How could the town fend for itself when it had no way to enclose itself from outside attacks? Then again, Link had witnessed firsthand what could happen if the gates were barred from the outside. Perhaps it was better that the village didn't keep itself encompassed.

He squinted at the sign, trying to read what it said. He found that he was unable to understand it. Was it written in Hylian or not? Was this just old Hylian? Why was it so different than what he was used to reading? It looked similar to what was written on the gravestones in Kakariko Graveyard, but not close enough for Link to be able to translate it. He decided that the sign wasn't important. For all he knew, it could be encouraging the promotion of Cucco eggs.

Link sighed and continued running through the town. He encountered two people laughing and playing in front of a tall, odd-looking tree. One wore a red shirt with white pants, and the other a blue shirt with white pants. They appeared to be twins, but Link wasn't sure what to make of them. He approached them.

"Do either of you know where Kakariko is?" Link asked.

The young men stared at each other for a moment before the one in red replied to Link, "This is Kakariko. This is where the refugees of Hyrule Castle Town have all fled to, as well as anyone who has stood in the way of the vicious Ganondorf. He doesn't consider us very threatening, so he allows us to stay here, but…"

The blue one finished his statement. "It's a rough time for soldiers. Ganondorf won't allow them to reside anywhere, and instead sends his monsters after them again and again. You won't find any knights here. They're all in hiding."

Link was stunned. Ganondorf was purging the world of Hyrulian soldiers? He couldn't imagine Castle Town—his version of it—with none of the "knights" around. His Kakariko was already devoid of any soldier's assistance…was this the reason why?

"How did…" Link tried to think, carefully considering his words before they left his mouth. "When did Ganondorf first take control, and how did he do it?"

"It was so long ago," the man in red answered.

"I'd say about seven years," the blue twin followed with.

"He overthrew the King of Hyrule and claimed the throne for himself, with the help of a strange, undefeatable power."

"Launched an attack on Hyrule before any of us even realized what was happening."

Link nodded. "Were the citizens spared?"

" _Spared_?!" The red one demanded.

"No, we _fled_! Ganondorf wasn't in a sparing mood that day." The blue twin looked to the sky, mournfully. "He killed anyone in his way—men, women, children—but he was after the soldiers to be sure. If he wanted anyone to perish, it was them."

"Look…we're incredibly busy. We don't have time to bother answering your questions. Surely you know the answers of them already. Why should we have to go digging up the past again?"

Link understood that these people weren't really in the mood to remember the bloodshed that day. He politely excused himself and continued exploring the town. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but at least he had some information. He was in Kakariko already, so now he had to go find the item of this place and use it to get into the deep woods.

Speaking of which, how was Link even supposed to find the item? It wasn't as if he could ask anyone. Even if he obtained the item, he had no directions on how to enter the woods. He wasn't able to ask around, either. How could he do that when no one even wanted to talk about the tragic history that brought them to this village? Requesting instructions of the path to the woods would be even more trivial.

Link scanned the multiple red brick houses with their blue roofs. He noted a watchtower on a hill to his left, as well as an enormous windmill in front of him. He also spotted a well up some stairs, and curiously approached it, bypassing a house that looked relatively new compared to the others. He cautiously approached the well. He hadn't seen these except in drawings. Not even his small hometown Ordon used these anymore. All the water in Hyrule came from Lake Hylia, Zora's Domain, or the villages themselves. No one needed wells anymore.

Apparently, this town only kept this around for decoration. Link couldn't read the sign in front of it and instead walked straight over to the well and peered down. The well was completely dry. Far below him, he noticed a stone slab blocking the entrance somewhere. Perhaps Link could go down there and blow it up. He may even find the item he needed…

Before he could jump down, he noticed a woman to his right. He turned his attention onto her. She seemed normal enough. She had red, shoulder-length hair and dark eyes. She wore a red, short, vest-like top over a white shirt, as well as a blueish-green skirt. However, there was a look in her eyes that Link recognized: distress. He stopped himself from leaping down into the well and instead walked over to her.

"Hello!" he called cheerily.

The woman immediately perked up at his approach and also smiled. She spread her hands wide and greeted him. "Hello, young man!"

"Are you having a pleasant day?" Link asked.

"Yes!" the young woman immediately replied. "I have just bred a new kind of miniature Cucco! I call it the Pocket Cucco! I'm allergic to Cuccos, but I don't get goosebumps from this baby."

"That's very nice," Link said.

"Cuccos are very good at getting lazy, late-risers out of bed. Haven't you heard of them before?"

Link nodded. He didn't know Cuccos did that, but he had seen them before. Every time he wanted to explore the world and fly around for a moment, he would attack one and momentarily see through its eyes. He wasn't sure how the process worked, but that was what he remembered them being good for. Getting lazy people out of bed was a new concept to him…or was it old since he came from the future of these people?

"It makes them very happy to crow CUCCKOOOO!" the girl said, startling Link with her outburst. "Especially when it wakes a very heavy sleeper," she continued, completely oblivious to Link's surprise.

How Link had even confused her for a distressed person was beyond him. He was about to excuse himself from the conversation to jump down the well where he belonged, before the young woman voiced her plight.

"However, my Cucco is not entirely happy right now…"

 _She really is in distress,_ Link thought. _Looks like I'm not completely stupid after all._ He hesitated. _I've been with Midna for far too long…_

"You…," the woman continued. "You look like you're good at handling Cuccos… Here, take this egg. After the Cucco hatches, bring it back to me after a while, and I'll check out its mood. What do you think? Will you try and ensure its happiness?"

Link nodded. He enjoyed his side quests. After all, what was the point of saving the world if its residents were still unhappy with their lives? The least he could do was bring this woman back her Cucco in a good mood. Maybe if he did that, she could tell him where to find an item that would allow him access to the deep woods.

The woman placed an egg in his hands, which Link held curiously. _I borrowed a Pocket Egg!_ he thought. _The Pocket Cucco will hatch from it overnight. I'll need to be sure to give it back when I'm done with it._

The young woman smiled at Link, which he returned, before he spun around and began to wander back through the town. What could he do? Who did he need to talk to in order to learn how to reach the forest?

"Well, that was useless," Midna said from Link's shadow. She appeared in front of him, completely invisible to the townsfolk around them. "What do you intend to do with that, Link?"

"I intend to give it back to her when it's happy," Link quietly replied.

Midna rolled her eyes. "Great. Link, the goat-herding, horse-riding, monster-slaying, Cucco-raising Hero. What a lovely title…"

Link gave her a mildly annoyed stare. "If I return the Cucco when it's happy, maybe the young woman will tell me how to access the forest without driving me away."

Midna considered it. "Make it happy then give it back," she agreed. She returned to Link's shadow and allowed him to continue exploring.

Link took note of the building he was right beside. It was the one that was slightly newer than the rest, and it had a wooden target nailed into the bricks. An archery practice store? Link felt like he was a good marksman. Surely he could go and test his skills just to see if it was easier or harder to pass archery tests in past-day Hyrule…

Deciding that he had plenty of rupees, Link opened the door and entered the building. The least he could do was try and collect his thoughts while he practiced.

 _Besides,_ he thought, _I do have a little spare time to wait around for this Pocket Cucco to hatch…_ He reached into his rupee wallet, ready to pay any price. He needed to calm himself and prepare himself for the challenges this world may present to him. He needed to be ready…

. . . . .

The Hero of Time had never been so disappointed with Hyrule. He sat at the edge of the cliff, watching the lava bubble and gurgle below him. He looked up, gazing longingly at the floating Hyrule Castle, far out of his reach. There was no way he could ever get there. It was hovering above the lava, and there were no bridges to connect the land Link stood on with the Castle.

Hyrule Castle was nothing more than ruins now. What had once been a pleasant road was now covered in rubble from large columns. Mountains of earth pierced the sky, too steep for Link to climb. Debris was scattered everywhere. A broken stone arch was down the path to Link's left, but he didn't care. He had already been that way and learned that it was blocked by heavy boulders and an enormous stone column. He couldn't move anything around here to assist him to the Castle.

The actual Castle itself now had spikes protruding from any available area, forming a dreadful-looking palace of darkness. The entrance yawned like the jaws of a hungry monster, inviting Link, but the lava far below him told him to ignore the Castle's beckoning.

"Link…" Navi whispered. "We need to go, Link."

Link knew she was right. The longer he stared at the ruins of Hyrule, the more hopeless he began to feel. He was truthfully still a kid, but his years had been stolen from him by the Master Sword and the Sacred Realm, so now he was forced to be an adult. But what exactly did an adult do? He wasn't sure. Regardless, he had to get going.

Link crawled back from the drop far below and began ambling down the path. If Hyrule needed him to be an adult, that was what he would be. He had accepted this quest, and he was going to see it through. No complaints could be uttered regarding the difficulty of his mission. No one cared about that. Whining wouldn't save his beloved homeland, or rescue Zelda, or return his missing years to him. No, only actions would. This world was longing for a Hero, and it was crying out for someone like him. He had no choice in the matter. He could not sit idly by and watch the world be destroyed because of him.

He had to cast aside all feelings of cowardice. So that was what he did.

Link traveled down the path, returning to the dreary Castle Town. He noted the Redeads, but they weren't giving him much trouble. They were groaning as usual, but that was easily ignored. He found his way along the broken drawbridge and began heading for Kakariko. There would be time for detours later. He needed to find clues on how to locate the weapon that would allow him access to the Forest Temple.

He raced over the arched stone bridge and up the stairs to Kakariko, disregarding the sign above him. He saw the two young men playing and dancing in a strange manner, but they didn't look like they wanted to talk, so he quietly passed them by.

Link spotted the Kakariko well and approached it. He peered down, awestruck by the fact that it was now empty. The water used to rise almost to the top, and it looked twenty-five or more feet deep. It could be that he was staring from the top of the well that his perception of distance was skewed, or perhaps it really was that deep, he wasn't sure. Even so, the fact that the well was empty surprised him. He could see a stone wall blocking a passage somewhere, so there was no need to jump down and explore it. His bombs weren't strong enough to blast that wall, and even if they did, would more debris take its place, or would segments of the ground collapse all around Kakariko? The results were not something he wished for.

Turning away from the well, Link looked up at the windmill. He stared at the door in the wall. Hadn't he met a strange man there before? Curious, Link dashed up the steps and entered the door, wondering if that unique person was still there.

Unfortunately, he was.

Link was stunned to see the man, looking incredibly angry. He was quickly winding his music box, his eyebrows low on his face, which was set to a permanent angry glare. He was completely bald and had no hair except for his dark brown beard. He wore a wrinkled blueish-green shirt and blue shorts, and had no shoes whatsoever. Link wasn't sure what to make of him now that he was very angry.

Link approached the man. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Grrrrrrrrr…!" the windmill man replied. "I'll never forget what happened on that day, seven years ago! Grrrrrrrrr! It's all that Ocarina kid's fault! Next time he comes around here, I'm gonna mess him up!

 _Ocarina kid?_ Link wondered. He retrieved the Ocarina of Time from his inventory and held it to his lips, waiting patiently for the man to speak.

"What the heck!" the windmill man exclaimed. "That reminds me of that time seven years ago! Back then, a mean kid came here and played a strange song. It messed up this windmill! I'll never forget this song!"

He played the notes to Link, which sounded low at first, then became even lower, before transitioning to a higher tone altogether. The man repeated the three notes to Link, still part of the same song. He then played the song again, so Link wouldn't forget it either.

Link played the melody back to him. A thought triggered in his mind. _I played Song of Storms…_ Outside, thunder boomed and lightning crackled. The day grew dark, and it began to pour.

"Oh no! A storm again!" the windmill man exclaimed as the rain began to seep into the room as well. "You played the Ocarina again, didn't you?! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"

Link turned around, feeling slightly guilty. Why had the man taught him the song if he didn't want him to play it? He noticed the windmill gradually gaining speed as it spun around.

 _What kind of calamity did I just cause?_ Link wondered. He started slinking towards the door, only to end up spinning endlessly on the windmill. It was kind of fun, but he couldn't remain there forever. He watched, waiting for his opportunity to step off. He saw it approaching rapidly, so he dashed forward and darted for the door.

Once outside, Link began to take note of his surroundings. Where did he need to go to find this item that Sheik spoke of? He was used to locating weapons in dungeons, and the only place he could think of that was even remotely similar to a dungeon was the Kakariko Graveyard.

 _It can't hurt to explore there,_ Link thought, racing over to the Graveyard. He wasn't sure what to expect in this new form of Hyrule, but it was not this.

The Graveyard was always a bleak place to be sure, but now it was raining from his earlier song. Dark clouds had gathered in the sky, blotting out the sun and making it difficult to see. Fences rose out of the ground in random patterns. Gravestones formed neat rows, lining the walls of the Graveyard. Far ahead of him was a hole in the ground he'd traveled to when he was still a child to get the Song of Passing. Above that was a mysterious fence that guarded…

Link squinted. Absolutely nothing. That fence was meaningless. Even as an adult he couldn't see its purpose. Maybe it was some sort of art.

He glanced to his right and saw Dampé the Gravekeeper's cabin. In front of that was a sign that said something about the time the tombstone game was open. Link continued looking around the graveyard for clues. He tried to remember what the diary in Dampé's shack used to read. Hadn't it mentioned something about a cool weapon that went _boing!_ or something? As he wandered past one headstone, still considering that memory, he spotted a strange creature.

The monster wore a white hood over a purple cloak, both of which were in tatters. Around its neck was a thick pendant with a skull on it. It had inky black, bony arms, and it didn't appear to have feet. Its face was shrouded in darkness, which was strange considering that it carried an intricate lantern in its right hand. Regardless, the only part of its face Link could identify was its glowing, demonic golden eyes. He noticed only after a few more seconds of silence that it had a nose, so perhaps it wasn't cloaked in shadows; its body was made of them.

And then it laughed.

Link flinched before spinning around and running into Dampé's hut. He slammed the door shut and waited. Would that thing follow him in here? What was it about the creature that was scary anyway? It looked awesome! But it was definitely a monster and Link wasn't really in the mood to go challenging strange things. He would rather find the weapon of Kakariko and return to his home in the Kokiri Forest.

Besides, that girl Sheik mentioned had Link thinking. It was somebody he knew, huh? The first person to come to his mind was Saria…but there was no way she was the Sage. She was just his friend who was nice to him and kept Mido from bullying him. There wasn't really anything Sage-like about her.

Link peered into Dampé's hut. He had last visited this place seven years ago. He had read the diary once before, so surely he could read it again and find the information about that strange _boing!_ object.

The room was even smaller than Link remembered it. It had a window to his right that was closed up tightly, and on the opposite end of the room from it was a desk with the journal of the Gravekeeper open on top of it. It was surprising to realize that the Gravekeeper didn't own a bed, or anything in this hut besides his desk, chair, and journal.

 _Where is that Gravekeeper character anyway?_ Link wondered. _He was always in here when I was just a kid…_

He looked around, but there was nowhere the mysterious Dampé could be. The hut just wasn't big enough to hide a human being. Deciding that the Gravekeeper was simply absent, Link ambled over to the journal and began to read.

The entry wasn't what he remembered from seven years ago…

Link could slightly recall something about Dampé saying he would never give his treasure to anyone, no matter what. He had said that it was too fun and that it shrunk and expanded, and that it did amazing other things too. Now, the journal displayed a disturbing message that left Link feeling weak. He began to read.

"Whoever reads this, please enter my grave. I will let you have my stretching, shrinking keepsake. I'm waiting for you."

Navi fluttered out of hiding and peered at the journal. She landed softly on top of it and gently flapped her wings. "He's…dead?" she asked, her voice disbelieving.

"But I only saw him yesterday!" Link protested. He realized his mistake and hung his head. "Well, yesterday, seven years ago…"

"I guess we can't expect everyone we knew seven years ago to still be alive." Navi shot into the air and glided over to Link's shoulder, where she waited. "Let's get out of here, Link! We need to find Dampé's grave…"

Link turned and staggered out the door. He wanted so desperately to regain those missing years. He had no idea what had happened to the poor Gravekeeper. Was opening the Sacred Realm one of the leading causes of Hyrulian deaths? Probably.

Link exited the building and was about to begin wandering around the graveyard when he heard the dreaded laughter again. It was so terrifying, like bones popping, but it was definitely laughter. No creature would look at him with those eyes and make that noise unless it was cruel giggling. Or it could have been telling him about how the price of gravestones in Kakariko was going up due to the Hyrulian economy, but the first option was more likely.

"Don't come near me, and I won't come near you," Link muttered under his breath, glaring at the strange creature.

It made that noise again and began floating up and down the graveyard, gliding through fences as if the planks weren't even there. It was hovering along the right half of the graveyard, so Link chose the left to explore. He could remember that kid who used to pace this place once told him not to disturb the graves. Could he do that now?

Link wandered around to the back of a grave that was growing Triforce-like flowers in front of it. There had to be something special there. Those kinds of flowers didn't sprout for no reason. He took hold of the stone and began to pull, not sure what results to expect. Surprisingly, the grave was easy to move out of the way. Link pulled it back as if it were no more difficult than opening a door.

Then it got stuck. Link was halted so abruptly that he ended up releasing the grave and sitting on his rear in the dirt. He stared at the grave, confused, before crawling around to the front. He saw a hole in the ground, leading to who-knows-where. It was so deep that he couldn't see the bottom, even squinting. He blinked for a few moments, debating whether jumping down was worth his time and effort. Besides, there was no way to know if Dampé was buried here. He could have the wrong gravestone, right?

The bone-popping noise startled Link to his feet. He shot back and looked up, finding himself face to face with one of those dreaded ghost monsters. It laughed at him and began spinning its lantern like a deadly weapon.

"Don't come near me!" Link squeaked, running around the gravestone and trying not to get hurt by the ghost thing. It missed him by no more than a few inches. He felt heat sear across his face, but he was too stunned to cry out. Why was this thing after him? He hadn't done anything to make it mad!

"Link!" Navi exclaimed.

The ghost spun around and prepared for a second attack. Link backed up to the fence, terror in his eyes.

"Your sword, Link!"

"Why do I have to fight everything I stumble across?" Link whined, drawing his weapons.

"Because everything wants you dead!"

Link would have protested more, but a hot wind from Death Mountain greeted his face like a dreadful kiss. He gritted his teeth.

 _An adult…_ he reminded himself. He needed to be an adult… He needed to cast aside all fear. Hadn't he done that already? Then again, fear was a recurring element in everyone's life. If he wanted it gone forever, he would have to die. Otherwise, it would always return when he was least prepared for it.

This world was a perfect example. Not a single person besides himself, Zelda, or the other people being adversely affected by Ganondorf, had any idea that catastrophe was about to claim the world. And that was when it was plunged into its darkest time. That was when it became a world of fear.

And more cowardice wasn't going to get Link, or the people depending on him, anywhere. He was the Hero of Time. He was the only Hero this world had. He needed to be that Hero or everyone would continue their perpetual suffering.

Brandishing his sword, Link charged the ghost. He tried swiping at it but it laughed at him and quickly spun its lantern. Pain seared through Link's body as the lantern slammed into his chest and he was knocked back. He slid on the ground, digging at the grass and trying to stop himself. His back collided with the tombstone behind him and he grunted in pain. The muscles in his body tensed, trying to keep him steady.

 _Why do I have the same feeling I get when I almost fall off my bed?_ Link wondered. He tried to relax, only to find himself sinking. After a moment, he realized that there was nothing but a void below him.

"Aah!" he cried, releasing his sword as he slipped into the hole. Somehow, he managed to grab hold of the wall before he fell to his death. He glanced down at the pit below him, staring into the thick darkness.

 _Did the person who made this grave decided that anyone who tampered with it should die too?_ Link mentally demanded. He tried to pull himself up. _Please don't knock me back. Please don't knock me back!_ he repeatedly thought, hoping that the ghost wouldn't strike him as he climbed out.

It laughed at him and began to spin its lantern again.

 _Please!_

Flames burned his fingers and Link yelped as he was knocked back into the hole. He was unable to grab anything, plummeting far too fast into the darkness. He cried out in surprise, but no one heard him.

And it was likely that no one would again…

 **A/N: I bet you people hate me and my cliffhangers by now. XD But if you want the next chapter, I want another review. I don't get anything for writing this, and it consumes large amounts of my time, so the least I want is a comment, alright? It doesn't hurt y'all...so please?**


	4. Encounter in Kakariko

**A/N: I do not own Nintendo or Zelda. Also, thank you everyone for reading and/or reviewing this story.**

Chapter Three

Encounter in Kakariko

"Hey!" a voice called, piercing the silence of the darkness.

The Hero of Time lay on the ground. His left hand rested on the Master Sword's handle. His right hand was supported by his shield. His body was in a twisted position, yet he wasn't feeling any pain from it. The only agony he was feeling was on his fingers and chest, where he had been struck from the lantern.

"Link! Look!"

Link struggled to open his eyes. He blinked them open, trying to comprehend his surroundings. He was lying on cold cobblestone ground. Four pillars rose up at the corners of the surface he rested on, supporting the stone ceiling far above him. The ground below him was raised like a stage, and he would have to jump off of it in order to explore. In front of him was a yawning cave, and he could see a mysterious thing waiting in it.

Blinking a few more times to clear the blur from the world, Link rolled to his knees and stood up. He observed that the walls were blue, which was a strange color for stone slabs. It didn't matter though. He jumped down from the platform and watched Navi zip over to the strange thing.

It was obviously a person. He had light skin and stubble on his chin. His right eye was half open and bruised. He had an underbite and one of his bottom teeth overlapped on his skin. He wore a brown, sleeveless shirt and brown pants with square patches stitched into them. His shoes were the same color as his shirt.

Yes, it was definitely a person. But he was dead. The evidence to support that was the blue halo hovering over his head and the fact that he was floating. And Link knew who this person was. He had met him seven years ago and played near the graves this man supervised. This was Dampé the Gravekeeper.

But he obviously didn't care about being deceased. He gestured Link forward, a lantern like the ghost's outside in his right hand.

Link leapt off the stage and ran over as Dampé spoke. "Heh, heh, heh, young man! Are you fast on your feet?"

Link stopped in his tracks. He blinked before saying, "Perhaps. Why do you ask?"

"I may not look like it," the ghost began, "but I'm confident in my speed! Let's have a race! Follow me if you dare!"

Link took a surprised step back, only to immediately regret his decision. The ghost began to float backward, significantly faster than the Hero of Time had given him credit. He dashed towards the escaping figure. He had to sidestep as Dampé threw an orange flame on the ground. Link felt the heat kiss his face and right side, but he wasn't burned. He took another step forward and increased his pace as well. If the ghost was going to play dirty, then he was going to give it his all.

He dashed through the cave, narrowly avoiding the flames that Dampé was throwing. He turned a right before he could slam into the wall that had leapt out at him. He stepped onto a flame that the ghost had thrown, only to spontaneously combust.

"Aah! Ugh!" Link cried as he was thrown onto his back. He quickly pushed off the ground, the flames sputtering out, and shot back to his feet. There was no way was he going to let Dampé get away. The ghost was already farther away than he should have been. Link now had to catch up to him or be left behind. He sidestepped a flame and pursued the fleeing ghost. He reached a two-way intersection and followed Dampé to the left.

The Gravekeeper floated right past a door that branched off, and drifted between two sand-colored stone pillars with pinkish-magenta flames blazing atop them. Link was curious about the other path. He would have to explore there later if he got time, but because this was a race, he was not allowed to wander off until he completed it.

Dampé passed another intersection, still leading Link to the left. Link glanced behind him at the wall he almost face-planted, then tried to speed up. Why was he running so slowly?

Link found himself on the ground again, on fire. He rolled to his feet, glaring at the path the ghost had disappeared on. He ran back after the Gravekeeper, only to stop at another two-way intersection. He was slightly confused. Which way was he supposed to go? Which path had Dampé taken? His first guess was left, since he seemed to be hugging the left path more than the right, but he couldn't be certain. He couldn't afford to take a wrong path or he would lose the race.

Then he saw the dying flame on the left path.

 _Ah, so he wasn't playing dirty. He was marking the path for me in case I wandered off. But those keep knocking me down!_ Link mentally protested. He ran after the flames sputtering out on the left path. He took a right at a wall, then another left past a four-way intersection. Another left. Another wall that forced him to turn right.

Link noticed the ghost leading him again. He had entered a door that led to nothing but darkness. Did he really expect the Hero of Time to follow him? For all Link knew, that path led to death.

The door began ticking, letting him know that it was about to close.

 _I've no choice!_ Link thought. He charged forward after the ghost and heard the wooden door slam back onto the ground.

Then he saw the path he was running on and was forced to turn right again. He came to another intersection, but was required to turn right instead of left. A flame greeted him again, but by now he was getting used to the scorching heat. He dragged himself to his feet and dashed after Dampé.

Link ran down a flight of stairs and found himself in a large cavern with stalagmites jutting from the ground. There were three paths he could choose, and the ghost threw a flame at the path on the right, so Link followed him down it. Unfortunately, he found himself on fire once again. Although, this time his body hit the stalagmite beside him. The flames extinguished and he rose up again, chasing after that stupid Gravekeeper. Why was he so terrible at this race?

He turned left at the new intersection and found that the walls were beginning to turn pink. He spotted those twin pink torches and an open door in front of them. Dampé entered the open door and disappeared. Link pursued him through the blackness, trusting the Gravekeeper's judgement.

He found himself in another blue room, but this time there were walls covered in Hylian he didn't have time to read. Two pink torches blazed in front of each blue wall, and Link ran between their openings.

 _How long is this race?_ he wondered, panting heavily.

Another right turn. Then a left. The ground rose up almost at tall as Link. He had three options. One had a green rupee he wanted, but it definitely wasn't worth losing this tiring race for. Dampé turned to the left and Link ignored his craving for that rupee to his right. He climbed up onto the new path, hugging the wall to avoid the flame in the center of the course. He turned right and began to ascend a ramp, then turned left again.

Link entered another cavern, but this was even more enormous. It had a yawning pit in the center, and a path spiraled up the left wall…a path he would have to take to keep from jumping into darkness.

He watched Dampé float straight up there, so he turned to the path, going as fast as his tired legs would take him. He spotted another open door that the Gravekeeper had just opened. Two simple wooden torches waited before the door, regular yellowish-red flames blazing atop them. The doorway had Hylian on the top part of it, but Link still didn't have time to read it. He had to finish this race. He could hear the ticking sounds of gears sliding in the door, trying to allow it to drop back into the floor.

Link dashed into the yawning doorway, entering the darkness. He tried to blink away the black spots in front of his eyes as light flooded his vision. The door slid shut behind him, loudly echoing around the new room. Link noticed some stairs leading up to the platform Dampé was waiting for him on.

 _Aww,_ he thought. _I lost the race…_

Link was panting so heavily that he was trembling. His heart beat so strongly that the world felt like it was pulsing. He took in the details of this room. He was standing right in front of those stairs. The walls were a strange combination of blue and grey, and the ground was made of thick bricks pressed tightly together. There was a path of smooth stone that lead to that raised stage. Two simple torch pedestals blazed on either side of the stage. An open hall was seen behind the Gravekeeper, and Link had a feeling that he would have to walk through it and start all over again. Tired, he limped over to the Gravekeeper.

"The time of this race was one minute and fifteen seconds!" Dampé said.

 _How fast do I have to run in order to beat this race? Under a minute?_ Link wondered.

"Hehehe, young man…" the Gravekeeper began. "You were very quick to be able to keep up with me! Hehehe!"

 _Really?_ Link wondered. Did he really win the race? No…he had lost. He had entered the room after Dampé.

"As a reward, I'm going to give you my treasure," the ghost said. "It's called the Hookshot!"

 _I won?!_ Link wanted to jump for joy, but he really didn't have the energy. Even if he did, he wouldn't have. Dampé wouldn't have liked it, he was certain.

"Its spring-loaded chain will pull you to any place its hook sticks. Doesn't that sound cool? I'm sure it will help you! I live here now, so come back again sometime. I'll give you something cool!"

 _I have to return?!_

"One more thing! Be careful on your way back! Heheheh…." With those final words, Dampé the Gravekeeper exploded into a ring of blue fire, which fell to the ground and sputtered out.

Link took a surprised step forward, hand outstretched to help the already-gone ghost. He was even more stunned when a golden light shimmered in a circle next to him and began to rise up, a large wooden chest materializing into existence. He glanced at the new object, then back at where the ghost had been. Perhaps the two really would meet again… If that were the case, then Dampé wasn't permanently gone. Link hoped that were the case. He didn't know if ghosts could die twice. He didn't want that to happen; he would like to return when he was faster, and be able to challenge the Gravekeeper.

Turning to the chest, Link threw open the lid and looked inside. He reached down and pulled out a strange object. The main part of this weapon appeared to be a large blue cylinder. A chain wrapped around the middle of it, and a triangular handle jutted out from the back part, bound in leather. A triangle piece of sharp metal was extended on the top part of it, deadly enough to kill something. Link wasn't sure what to make of it, but it had to be the Hookshot.

 _I found the Hookshot!_ Link mentally exclaimed. _It's a spring-loaded chain that I can cast out to hook things. I can use it to drag distant objects towards me, or I can use it to pull myself toward something._

Link turned to face the exit. He ran through the dark door and found himself standing in front of a blue cube bigger than he was, with symbols on it. A second cube was stacked on top of it, and there was no other way around them. He glanced behind himself and saw that the door had closed. He turned back to the blocks.

Navi fluttered around them. "Hey… Isn't that the same design that's on the Door of Time?" she muttered.

Link put the Ocarina of Time to his lips and considered it. Yes, he did need to play a song. He began to play the same melody he had when he tried entering the Temple of Time. It caused bitter memories to surface in his mind, but he pushed them aside and played the tune Princess Zelda had taught him.

In front of him, the twin blocks shuddered and began to glow. A ring of blue light appeared around the blocks, like the kind Link had seen when he first drew the Master Sword. He watched as the cubes disappeared, leaving no trace that they had ever existed. Link took a shocked step back, then blinked a few times. He saw that the way to go was now open, so he tentatively stepped forward.

The path was above him: a raised part of the ground he would need to climb. Link leapt up and pulled himself up, then began ascending the stairs. He saw something strange at the top, like four wooden beams connecting at the center of his view, only to move down, out of his vision. Link ascended to the top and perceived a sight he wasn't expecting.

He saw a spinning pillar with a circle on the ground, also turning. Wooden planks rose out to greet him, and several other raised pillars jutted out from the walls. One of them had a beautiful Heart Piece on top of it: a red heart in the center with a larger, blue, flat heart holding it in place. He recognized this place. He had been there moments earlier. Even the man he had encountered was still there, madly winding his music box.

Link was back inside the windmill.

. . . . .

The Hero of Twilight decided that he hated boulders. It was almost daytime again, and he had been throwing rocks since yesterday evening. He couldn't ascend more than ten feet before another dreaded rock came hurtling down the mountain in his direction. He had other boulders in his path that he couldn't remove, so he was catching and tossing everything that came at him.

And there were also Tektites that wanted him dead. After killing three of them, getting flattened several times by the obnoxious boulders, Link finally decided that he was done. He hadn't made much progress up the mountain, and it was going to take him far too long to actually make it all the way up. Besides, Death Mountain wasn't even his destination. He still needed to find that item in Kakariko, and from there he had to travel to the deep woods. After that little dungeon-battling, he could head back here…probably. Until then, wasting his energy here wasn't something he really needed to do.

Link caught a boulder—which was a round rock bigger than he was, composed of smaller rocks—and spun around, his Iron Boots dragging in the dirt.

"Hnnnrah!" he grunted. He released the boulder like it was nothing more than a Goron from present-day Hyrule's Death Mountain. He watched it spiral down the mountain, and he dusted his hands.

Link looked into the sky and saw the moon begin sinking below the horizon. On the opposite side of the sky, he saw a flash of pink that was the sun. Annoyed at the amount of time he had burned here, Link leapt into the air, un-equipping the Iron Boots. His regular boots hit the dirt and he began ambling back down the mountain. If morning was already beginning to break, then he had nothing else better to do than wait for it before reentering Kakariko Village.

He reached the end of the path and glared at the sun as it rose above the horizon, beginning to climb into the sky. This journey up Death Mountain was stupid…why did he even bother trying it?

Link stopped, then sighed. He knew why. He had started feeling lonely in Kakariko. He had learned some information about the town to be sure: it was built by someone named Impa; there was someone who used to live where the well is, and he could see the truth, whatever that meant; most people had migrated to Kakariko from Castle Town; and there was a witch who lived behind the Potion Shop. But Link didn't feel welcome in that town. He was a stranger in Old Hyrule…and he felt it every second.

So, Link's only company was Midna, who wouldn't appear in towns because she didn't want people to see her. So he had gone to the mountain.

However, Link hadn't just traversed the mountain because he didn't feel welcome. He had explored all of Kakariko Village…save for the well. He had even visited the Graveyard after being told about someone named Dampé having a treasure. He had been curious, but found no one, and seen nothing other than a moved gravestone that probably led to Hyrule's Netherworld. He really didn't want to go there…not yet anyway. The mountain was his only destination that he believed could yield some fascinating information.

And it was a major mistake that he had traveled there. It had burned off the remainder of his evening, became night, then started turning to day again. Whoever the girl was that he was supposed to meet was probably in a lot of trouble due to the massive amount of time he had unintentionally killed.

The sun rose above the horizon. Link took one step forward. It was all he had time for before he heard a strange noise.

"CUCCKOOOO!"

Link flinched and reached into his pouch, drawing out the Pocket Egg. What he found instead was a young Cucco, and it was staring at him intently.

"Look, Link," Midna said, floating out of Link's shadow. "A Cucco hatched from that egg you were incubating…" She looked up at him. "Is this what the miracle of life is?" she asked.

Link studied the bird in his hand before returning it to his pouch. It wasn't like it was too crowded in there. Besides, Ooccoo and her son used to stay in there, and they seemed to like it.

Speaking of those two, where had they disappeared to? Link hadn't seen them depart, but they were no longer in his inventory, and he wasn't sure why. They told him they were looking for something in that dungeon, the Temple of Time, and they never said what it was. However, for whatever reason, they were gone now, and he had no idea where they went.

 _I suppose it doesn't matter,_ Link thought. He took one step down the path to Kakariko, and Midna dropped back into his shadow. There were two buildings that he could see the second he entered the gate that allowed him into Kakariko. Beyond them stood the house that he was looking for. Link dashed forward and jumped down off a raised section of the ground so that he was level with the house. He took hold of the door handle and opened it, stepping inside the building.

It was relatively simple. In the left corner, nearest the door, was a table. The right bottom corner was empty, but the top right one had a fireplace that was boiling some stew. A person stood there, brewing the pot. Link approached the figure and greeted whoever it was. The person had dark, long, curly hair and a beard, but wore a pink dress and seemed to be female, so Link wasn't exactly sure what to make of the stranger. However, despite this figure's strange appearance, he or she seemed nice enough, and began conversing with the Hero of Twilight.

"All people have hardships in their past that they would rather no one found out about," the person said.

"Yes?" Link asked, curious about what had brought up such a topic.

"Look over at the bearded man sleeping over there. I bet even someone like him has had his share of troubles in the past..."

Link looked to his left and noted the two other people he had seen previously but disregarded. One was lying in the bed, wearing a red shirt with blue overalls. He had dark, thick eyebrows and a beard, and he was balding. His nose was slightly oversized, and there was dark hair covering his arms. He was sleeping peacefully, completely oblivious to everything around him. Link walked over to the other person he saw: a woman with big, dark hair and red lips. She wore a blue dress and was slightly overweight, and her lips were painted an extremely vibrant red.

"Hello," he said to her.

"Look at him…" she replied, "the man with the beard. I think he was fired from his job at the ranch… He's always just lazing around, morning, noon and night. He's an awfully carefree guy during such hard times."

"Lazy?" Link looked back at the sleeping man. "I can change that…" He reached into his back pocket and approached the dreaming stranger.

"CUCCKOOOO!"

"What in tarnation?!" The man flinched and sat on the bed, rubbing his tired brown eyes. He didn't bother opening them all the way when he looked at Link. "Can't a person get a little shut-eye around here?"

"I apologize," Link said. "However…I heard you come from a ranch…?"

The man's tiredness vanished at the mention of the ranch. His expression was replaced with sadness and he replied with, "Ingo took over Lon Lon Ranch and they call it Ingo Ranch nowadays."

"What happened?" Link asked.

"I was kicked out of there, and look at me now! My girl, Malon, still works at the ranch…" He somehow became even more depressed. "I'm worried about her…"

Link looked at the ground before excusing himself and wandering back out the door. His mind was swimming with thoughts. How could anyone stay somewhere their parents were kicked out of? Did this Malon person hate her father?

Link walked back to the girl who gave him the Pocket Egg. Maybe he could get some information from her now. He spotted her exactly where she had been earlier. She smiled at him as he approached.

Link drew the Cucco from his pouch and held it out for her to see.

"Oh, your Cucco looks pretty happy!" she exclaimed. "He must have awakened an extremely lazy guy!"

 _A very distressed man indeed,_ Link thought.

"You're a good Cucco Keeper! I'll give you a rare, valuable Cucco, if you're interested… Its name is Cojiro, and it used to be my brother's Cucco. Its blue body is quite charming. It's so cute!"

 _Blue?_ Link wondered.

"Since my brother has gone, it's strange, but Cojiro has stopped crowing. Do you want to keep Cojiro?"

Link considered it. He was a good Cucco-raiser, huh? If that were the case, then perhaps it would be alright if he handled this one. Who knew where it might come in handy…?

"Yes," he replied, holding out his hand. The nice lady gave it to him, and he studied it. It was exactly as she described: a rare Cucco not because of its body structure, but because of its color. It really was extremely blue, as if someone had dyed it. Link accepted the bird, considering it.

 _I returned the Pocket Cucco and got Cojiro in return!_ he thought. _Unlike other Cuccos, Cojiro rarely crows._ He slipped the bird into his inventory and turned back to the young woman. "Might I ask you one question?" he inquired. "Do you know where to find some deep woods?"

"I'm afraid I don't know where that is," she replied. "No one really does. It's a secret to everybody. I'm sorry."

"That's alright," Link said. He turned to leave, deciding that he would just have to depart for now and return later with more information. He had spent too long in this town anyway; that other girl he should know was probably in desperate need of his help. Perhaps he could enter the Temple already…

Link started walking for the entrance of the town, ready to begin exploring the remainder of past-day Hyrule. He approached the exit of the town and cast a sorrowful glance back. He wanted to help these people. He wanted to assist in the alleviation of their suffering. But how could he do that when he was so lost? Somehow, someday, he would return here and aid these people. He would definitely destroy the evil that plagued the world for them. It was his destiny as a Hero…the supposed "Hero of Time". He still believed that that title did not belong to him, but if Sheik had called him that and even gotten his name correct, it had to be him.

Link walked beneath the sign that he couldn't read before he heard a strange noise. He stopped dead in his tracks and listened carefully for the noise.

"Hey!" a voice called.

Link whirled around and saw something he could never even dream of. His eyes widened and he stared, bewildered, at someone.

The person had blonde hair, and his bangs were parted in the center, fluffed up. He had long ears and blue, ring-shaped earrings, and he was wearing white tights and a white shirt. Brown boots covered his feet, almost rising to his knees. Two leather brown belts decorated his waist and shoulder. On his back was a sheathed sword that extended diagonally from two inches below his head to three inches above his knees. The sword had a blueish handle and a wing-like guard. A metal shield with a wood backing was also put away on the figure's back. Brown, fingerless gauntlets protected his hands. His garb was a green tunic with a green windsock-like hat. A blue fairy fluttered around his head.

This was impossible. There was no way this person could be here. The Hero of Twilight rubbed his eyes, believing he was seeing things. This couldn't be. There was no way this was happening. The chances of this happening should have been less than absolute zero. Yet, this image was not a mirage. It left the Hero of Twilight feeling weak, knowing that this should not have ever happened.

Because he was looking at himself.

 **A/N: What is the gender of the bearded person tending the fire and wearing the dress in the house with Malon's sleeping father? Help, I cannot figure it out, and I spent like 20 minutes trying to. I'm calling this person "figure", "stranger", and "person", because "it" seems too rude and might offend people. So don't complain because there's some superfluous writing in that paragraph; I have no idea and I just don't want to get it wrong and tick everyone off. (It could be a bearded lady, it could be a rather large man... I have no idea...)**


	5. The Two Heroes who Traversed Time

**A/N: YOU MUST KNOW THE INFORMATION IN THIS PARAGRAPH BEFORE YOU CONTINUE READING! Alright, so it's exceedingly tedious and annoying to both write and read "the Hero of Time and the Hero of Twilight" went and did such-and-such. Using the titles of both of them over and over is…bleh. So, because they are both called Link and they have no nicknames other than their game names, Time and Twilight, I have decided to cheat. Only one of them will be called Link, and that depends on the perspective…so there will still be perspective switches. For example, if you are reading Ocarina of Time Link's perspective, you will see him referred to as Link (for the most part), and Twilight Princess Link will be known as one of many titles which include: the Hero of Twilight, the other Hero, the other Link, Link's companion, the Hylian Hero, etc. If there are those ". . . . ." at the end of a chapter, you get that perspective switch for the next Hero. Do you understand? I hope so because there really isn't much of a better way to do this.**

 **As usual, I do not own Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda, or their stuff. Thank you so much all the lovely peoples who reviewed my story. I really love reading those… They're awesome!**

 **Twilight Princess Link's perspective.**

Chapter Four

The Two Heroes Who Traversed Time

The Hero of Twilight took one step forward, extremely confused. He watched the other person do the same, his face displaying a stunned expression. The two regarded each other, unable to say anything. Their words were locked in their throats because of their disbelief. This should not have been possible. Ever.

Yet it was.

Link took a step back as the blue fairy zipped over to him and began fluttering above his head, just out of reach. He turned slightly, watching the strange blue light glitter above him. He extended his right arm, waiting for the fairy to land. But it didn't.

"Who are you?" the light asked.

Link was surprised. He had been catching fairies his entire life, and not once had he ever seen them speak. Somehow, he found the answer to her question while he considered his situation.

"Link."

The fairy fluttered back to the other green-clad Hylian. She settled on his right shoulder as he took a surprised step back. "How did you know my name?" asked the Hero of Time.

Link gave a puzzled stare. "No…that's my name." He was certain that Midna was dying to come out of his shadow, but she was holding herself back so that she wasn't seen by this other Hylian.

"Your name is Link?" Navi asked.

The Hero of Twilight nodded, then regarded the Hero of Time. "And yours is as well, I presume?"

"Yes…" Hero of Time replied.

Navi flapped her wings but remained on the Hero of Time's shoulder. "May I ask, who are you really? What is your identity?"

Link hesitated. He couldn't answer that question. He couldn't tell them that he was the Hero of Twilight for two reasons. First, he wasn't the Hero of Twilight because he hadn't saved Twilight just yet. He was merely the person they expected to be their Hero. Secondly, he still wasn't entirely sure if Twilight even existed yet. And if it did, telling this stranger who resembled him wasn't exactly the smartest idea. For all he knew, this person could be an illusion created by Ganondorf to distract Link from his mission.

And Link couldn't exactly say that he was the Hero of Time either. That title still felt foreign to him…misplaced…misdirected. Even if it was from past-day Hyrule, Link was positive that that name wasn't meant to be given to him. He wasn't able to say that he was that Hero. The consequences could be very bitter.

"I am restricted from answering that inquiry," the Hero of Twilight finally replied. "Until I know who you are, whether you are friendly or not, I am not permitted to respond."

The other Hero nodded. "Very well. If you must know, I am—"

His fairy replied for him. "Link is the Hero of Time, wielder of the legendary Master Sword."

 _Ah, so_ he's _the Hero of Time. But…wielder of the Master Sword?_ Link wondered. He drew his own sword from his back, the bluish-purple wings gleaming in the early-morning light of Kakariko. "I am also the wielder. This blade accepted me as its master."

The Hero of Time took a step back in surprise. "Where… Where did you get that?"

"I drew it from the Temple of Time." _Several hundred years from now,_ Link mentally added. Realization clicked in his mind. Link felt so stupid that he wanted to roll into a wall. How could he have been so blind? He had drawn the Master Sword from present-day Hyrule and hadn't even noticed that it had been absent in the Temple of Time…despite having traveled a great distance back in time. He owned the present-day Master Sword.

Which meant that this other Link owned the Master Sword of past-day Hyrule. He was not an imposter: he was the true Hero…the Hero that _this_ world cried out for. The Hero of Twilight was no more than an extra here. He definitely didn't belong…right?

 _I don't believe that the goddesses sent me here for nothing,_ Link thought. _I do not believe that they send anyone, without giving them a purpose. That's not to say that I wasn't sealed in here by something else…but if I was, then there will be meaning in my presence here._

"Who are you…?" the fairy whispered, still disbelieving.

"I cannot reveal my identity to you. Only members of the Royal Family know who I am…and what I protect. I apologize."

The Hero of Time's face seemed to light up. "You know Princess Zelda?"

Link smiled kindly. "Yes. I have engaged with the Princess twice. However, the circumstances of our encounters have been bitter both times. I was supposed to converse with her once more, but I am unable to. I was instructed to find the scattered fragments of a closely-guarded Royal secret in order to communicate with Her Majesty. However, I was locked inside the Temple of Time and am incapable of completing my quest."

The Hero of Time's eyes widened.

"You were sealed inside the Temple, too?" Navi asked. "And you are on a quest?"

"Yes. I was commanded to purge the evil inside five temples," Link replied. "In order to do so, I needed an item from this place…but I was unable to locate it, as well as the deep woods."

"I apologize if this sounds rude, but how do we know you're not lying?" the fairy inquired.

The Hero of Twilight stood there, considering his words. He had hoped this situation would not arise, but it seemed his wishes were in vain. However, he could not surrender here. He needed to return home and complete his mission. If he could receive help from past-day Hyrule's Hero, it would be so much easier.

"There is no way to verify my words," he said. "However, there was no way to confirm that Sheik's words held truth either, yet here I am: searching for a weapon I have no way of locating."

"You even spoke with Sheik?" the fairy asked.

"I was also referred to as the 'Hero of Time'," Link said. "I was commanded to explore deep woods, a high mountain, a vast lake, the house of the dead, and a goddess of sand. I cannot complete my previous quest without first purging those five temples." He gestured around to Kakariko. "However, after looking at the catastrophe that has covered this land, I have decided that, even if I wasn't required to explore the temples, I would still assist in the cleansing of them. Neglecting to do so would result in an extremely heavy conscience. I cannot allow this world to continue in its suffering." He looked at the Hero of Time and his fairy. "Is this not the destiny of the Hero?"

"You want to save Hyrule?" the Hero of Time questioned.

Link sheathed the Master Sword that he had forgotten he was holding. "To watch it perish would destroy me. Observing its suffering without aiding in its relief would devastate my heart."

"Yes," the Hero of Time agreed, stepping forward. "Such is the heart of a Hero… Are you…a Hero?"

Link approached the Hero of Time. "This is the life that was forced upon me…but I wouldn't have it any other way."

The Hero of Time also stepped forward, getting within arm's reach of Link. He extended his hand. "I am Link, Hero of Time."

The Hero of Twilight accepted the other Hero's hand and shook it. When he released it, he said, "Perhaps, one day, you shall learn who I am."

"You're searching for a weapon here so that you may enter the deep woods, correct?"

"Yes."

"I have that weapon. I am about to return to my home, the forest, and find someone very dear to me. I have not entered those woods for seven years, so I am not sure what I will find there."

"Then, might I join you in your quest?"

"You appear to be traveling alone…and a Hero always needs a companion. I believe you will enter those woods no matter what… You may come with me…so long as it's okay with Navi."

The fairy on the Hero of Time's shoulder flapped her wings. She took to the air and examined Link. "You may accompany us. If you try to harm Link, or adversely affect his quest to save Hyrule, you will suffer consequences. But I don't believe you have negative intentions, so you are permitted to join us."

Link sighed his relief. "If you have the weapon, may we please begin heading to the woods?"

"Yes," Navi said. "Let's go, Link! Ah…both of you."

The two Heroes regarded each other once more before both began grinning. Together, the two exited Kakariko, both excited to begin their quest. For the first time in both Heroes' lives, they finally had a human companion that they believed was truly like them. It was relieving for both of them.

Navi led the way, but neither complained. Link trusted the Hero of Time's judgement, and if he was willing to trust his fairy, so was Link.

And so, a whole new journey began for them.

. . . . .


	6. The Hero Who Was Forgotten

**A/N: I do not own the Legend of Zelda or Nintendo. Also, apologies in advance if this is bad. More about this is explained in the second A/N.**

 **Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Five

The Hero Who Was Forgotten

The two Heroes spent their entire journey to the forest talking about their adventures and comparing their hardships. The Hero of Twilight had restricted himself from saying too much. He had simply stated that he used to be a rancher and still was, but it was difficult to locate where he used to work since he had been shut into the Temple of Time for a very long time. He had also stated that he wasn't sure how long it had been since he combated some monsters and purged some dungeons.

Link understood that same feeling. After being sealed in the Temple of Time for seven years, he knew how confusing it was to suddenly exit and see a completely different Hyrule. But that raised several questions in his mind: who was this other Link; why was he locked inside the Temple of Time; why hadn't Rauru mentioned this person; was he an unknown Hero; was he good or evil, or was he merely an illusion; how many years had he been shut inside the Temple of Time; and why did the goddesses do that to him?

Link had far too many questions swimming in his mind. He wanted them out, but there really wasn't a way to get them to leave. He needed answers to his inquiries.

What really bothered Link wasn't the fact that the Hero of Twilight refused to talk, but instead why he wore his own Master Sword. Hadn't Rauru said something about that sword being a key to traverse time and that only those who pulled it from the Pedestal of Time could be known as the Hero of Time? In which case, was this Hero also a Hero of Time? And hadn't it been forged by the ancient Sages as a key to enter the Sacred Realm? Were there really two keys, or did this other Link's sword have no power whatsoever?

Fortunately, it appeared as if Link's question didn't need to be answered for him to be satisfied. He looked forward and squealed in delight, changing his pace from a fast walk to a full-on sprint.

In front of him were two tall trees that rose up out of Hyrule's boundaries. What should have been no more than a natural wall had been split in half, allowing another path. Grass sprouted on top of the wall. The wall formed a path that branched off to the left. It hadn't changed a bit.

Finally, Link could see his old home. He was so excited to return that he completely disregarded his new companion, and even his fairy. He dashed past them both, heading for the forest as fast as he could.

The Hero of Twilight blinked in surprise and chased after the fleeing Hylian. Navi landed on his shoulder to save herself the struggle of catching up with her friend. She disappeared in the folds of his clothes, enjoying the ride. She was also excited to see her old home, but she was too tired to chase after her escaping companion.

Link entered the hollow tree in the wall and sprinted across the bridge, listening to his feet thud on the planks. The bridge was still in good condition and didn't even creak from his new weight. Link dashed into the main part of the forest, ecstatic to return.

The Hero of Twilight entered the hollow log as well and tripped over himself as he heard a noise he wasn't expecting.

"CUCCKOOOO!"

He hit the planks, knees scraping the old wood. He shot to his feet, looking around, bewildered. Even Navi was surprised. She floated up and swept the visible forest before returning to the Hero of Twilight. "Was that from you?" she asked.

Link spun in a circle. "I…" he trailed off. Where had that noise come from?

Navi fluttered back after him and softly landed on his shoulder. "Let's go back to Link," she said.

The Hero of Twilight agreed and dashed into the other end of the hollow log. He entered the main part of the forest: the village of the Kokiri. He almost ran straight into his fellow Hero, who had stopped dead in his tracks and was looking around. Blood dripped off his left arm and chest. Teeth marks were fresh on his body. His weapons were drawn and he was glaring forward.

Navi landed on Link's shoulder. "Hey, Link! What happened to you?"

Link regarded her. "Navi…" he whispered. He turned back to face what was before him. "What…what happened here? What happened to my home?"

The Hero of Twilight scanned their environment to see what Link was talking about.

He had to admit the Kokiri's Forest looked nice. To his left was a house made from a tree, like his own. It was hut-shaped, but was definitely a hollow tree. There was no door on it, but that was alright. A circle of rocks was right beside it: a spot he would go dig later in search of secrets.

To his right was a hill that led to another house that looked similar to the first. A fence formed a maze near the home, but the Hero of Twilight couldn't see much of it. In front of him, beyond the hill but still on the right were two houses. If he squinted, he could barely make out a third home that was off the ground, like his own. To the left, in front of him, was another building, across a stream of water. It was twice as large as the other houses, so it had to be something else. Further beyond that was another path that probably led somewhere good.

The first house he had seen also had a path behind it, with ivy leading up a natural wall. One of the homes on the right, the one with a bunch of weeds in front of it, had a path carved onto the side—spiraling up the structure—which would lead him to two bridges that had their own vantage points.

All in all, the place seemed ideal. Except for the fact that there were monsters everywhere.

There was one in front of them: a creature the Hero of Twilight had never seen before. A Deku Baba was on the hill near the fence. A bunch of their buddies were wherever there was room. Even the tempting path in front of them was blocked by a Deku Baba.

"What happened to my home?!" Link demanded. He ran forward to slay a monster, but the Hero of Twilight seized him by the arm and dragged him back. "What are you doing? Let go!"

The Hero of Twilight shook his head. "You need to calm down. Are these monsters really the most important thing you need to engage here?"

Link's face paled. "My friends…"

The Hylian Hero released him.

Link dashed into the nearest building and halted. He was accompanied by the Hero of Twilight, who noticed the same thing that the Hero of Time had.

The room was extremely tiny and had a white oval rug. Four chests waited on the rug, but they were all open. On the left of the room was a small table, and on the right were some unbreakable pots. At the far end of the room was a raised stage with some stairs leading up to it. A bed was right beside that. Two boys waited, one on the bed and one on the stairs. Both had strawberry-blonde hair that covered their eyes, and they wore the same outfit as Link, but in different variations.

Relief flashed across Link's face, and he ran over to the one on the stairs. Before he could open his mouth, the little boy spoke.

"Why is that fairy following you around? You're not one of us!"

Those words were like bricks to Link. The agony on his face was clearly visible, but the little boy didn't seem to notice. Closing his open mouth, Link turned to the other boy.

"I see," the other boy said. "You didn't have any problem entering the forest, mister…"

 _Mister?_ Link wondered, bewildered. Then he remembered: he was an adult.

So why were all of his friends all still children?

"Did the meanies out there bother you much?" the child on the bed asked. "Before the Great Deku Tree died, you wouldn't see things like that around here…. Since it's dangerous outside, I always stay inside my house, but I'm bored to death in here!"

"I…see…" Link turned around and walked out, almost pushing the Hero of Twilight out of his way. The other Link backed out and waited.

The Hero of Time raised his head and dashed up the hill, kicking a Deku Baba in the face on his way and stepping on the other monster, which was a weird-looking bush with orange leaves, a cracking wooden face, and evil yellowish-orange eyes: a Mad Scrub. He entered the next house, where the Hero of Twilight joined him. Link stared at the three kids inside and approached the first one.

"Hello…" he started.

"Since the Great Deku Tree withered…more meanies have been appearing in the forest… I'm scared!" the young boy said. He resembled the two in the last house, and the two others in this house looked like him as well.

Link ran to the one waiting on his left, momentarily disregarding the one on his right.

"Where is Saria?" he asked.

"Where's Saria? Do you know Saria, mister? That's weird… Where has Mido gone during such an emergency?"

Link forced himself to turn to the other boy.

"An evil wind is blowing from the direction of the Forest Temple," the young boy said. "Saria left, saying, 'I have to do something about it!'"

"Where is the Forest Temple?" Link asked.

"The Forest Temple is located in the Sacred Forest Meadow in the far side of the Lost Woods."

Link dashed back out, accompanied by a severely confused Hero of Twilight. He charged into the house with the weeds out front. The house also had a white rug, but instead of chests, there were little hearts. A blonde girl with a green headband and sleeveless tunic was standing in the center of the rug. She took note of Link right away and courageously asked him a question.

"Have you been traveling around much, mister?"

"Yes…" he answered.

"Have you ever met a boy named Link?"

 _I am Link!_ Link wanted to scream.

"Should I have?" he asked instead, trying to control his raging emotions.

"Mido said that the Great Deku Tree withered because that boy did something wrong to it… Only Saria defended Link—until she left."

 _Saria…Saria believed in me?_ Link wondered. _No one…but Saria…defended me?_

"Maybe we misunderstood…" the girl concluded.

Link spun around, emotions shattering. He charged out, tailed by the Hero of Twilight. Link ran straight past the raised house, ignoring it entirely, and went to the next, final house.

The Hero of Twilight could see that this was emotionally tearing apart the other Hero. He needed to stop him before he completely ruined his mind. He reached forward and tried to seize the Hero of Time, but he was too slow. Link had already escaped to the inside of the house, and was now talking to a young girl waiting on a bunch of cut logs. "Is Saria alright?" he asked her, deciding he needed some other news other than confusion.

"Saria went to the temple and hasn't come back…"

"Haven't I seen you somewhere before, mister?" asked another blonde girl in front of a stage.

The Hero of Twilight extended his hand, trying to catch his friend, but he still didn't. The Hero of Time shoved him aside and sprinted into the open air.

"Link!" the Hero of Twilight called, pursuing him. "Link!"

Navi fluttered out of her resting place and landed on Link's shoulder. "Link…" she began. "Are you…alright?"

Link stopped. He drew his sword and the Hero of Twilight feared the worst.

The Hero of Time spun around and yelled loudly, heading for a Mad Scrub. It spat a seed at him, but he easily reflected it and then jumped into the air, crushing it with his blade while it was stunned by its own attack. He whirled around and sprinted up the hill near the entrance and sliced the Deku Baba in half at the stem. Navi assisted him as he combated his monsters, but even she was worried about him.

"Link!" she called.

The Hero of Time didn't respond. He went after another Mad Scrub.

"Link!" the Hero of Twilight shouted.

Still nothing. Link was too angry and too distressed to listen. His eyes had narrowed and all of his battle cries were pure murder. He wanted his home to be cleansed. These monsters were in his way. They needed to die.

"Link!" Navi shouted again.

The Hero of Time prepared to run and challenge another Deku Baba.

"HEY! LISTEN, LINK!"

Link stopped in his tracks. He began shaking, as if enraged by the distractions.

The Hero of Twilight walked around to Link's front to talk to him and convince him that he needed to calm down. He ceased walking the moment he saw Link's face.

Link sank to his knees and dropped his sword, head in his hands. He began sobbing, tears dripping on the ground.

The Hero of Twilight averted his gaze. He understood. He had felt devastated when Ilia had brushed him aside, and even more so when she had seemed to remember him, only to then display she didn't. It had killed him inside, and he knew that Link was suffering a similar agony.

Navi fluttered onto Link's knees and looked up at him. "I don't know why they haven't aged and you have…but you can't allow yourself this hopelessness, Link… Please. I'm still here. Link's still here. You have us. Please stop this…"

The Hero of Twilight sat down on the ground and waited. He couldn't say anything. He had simply been mentioned, but he didn't belong in this conversation. These two had known each other for a very long time, and he had known them for less than a day. He couldn't join this discussion unless asked to. He would have to hold his tongue.

"I'm fine with being a Hero…" Link said, voice breaking. "But…no. No, I'm really not. Hyrule is in shambles. Zelda is either missing or dead. No one remembers me. They think I betrayed them. I've had my years stolen away from me, and all that remains of this world is chaos. My home is overrun with monsters and…and…" He took his head out of his hands and cupped them, reaching out to Navi, who jumped into them. "And I've no one to blame but myself!"

"That's not true, Link," Navi protested. "You know it! You heard Rauru; you opened the Sacred Realm in the name of peace, but Ganon used your innocence and your pure intentions to control everything."

"It's all my fault…"

"Link, can you even hear yourself?" the Hero of Twilight asked, unable to remain silent anymore. "You can blame yourself all you like but it's not getting you anywhere! As a Hero, you have to know that you possess the ability to fix what you, and those around you, have broken. You are not permitted to complain about the negative circumstances; doing so would mean that you have surrendered to hopelessness, and Hyrule will never be saved. The world cries out for people like us, and we have no choice but to defend it!"

Link glared at the Hero of Twilight. "Has your hometown ever decided that they don't like you and forgotten about you?!"

"No. However, my betrothed, whom I have spent all sixteen years of my life with, has no idea who I am anymore."

Link's expression softened slightly, transitioning to a mild form of confusion. "Your beloved doesn't know you?"

"She was attacked by monsters right before my eyes. After that, I've no idea what happened to her. I encountered her later and she didn't know me."

"Even so…"

"If you would like to compete with me because of hardships, then I'm sorry; I will not challenge you. We've both received our share of struggles…both of us must live in obscurity. Our lives as Heroes will remain unknown simply because we are not permitted to brag about them."

Link looked down at his feet.

The Hero of Twilight stood up. "I want to help you; I do not wish to antagonize you in any manner, but I…this world…we need you to be a Hero who is strong. Can you do that for us all?"

Link was silent. After a few agonizing moments, he finally sighed. He looked up at his fellow Hero and said, "I want to save my friend, Saria. Will you assist me?"

The Hero of Twilight extended his hand, which Link accepted. He was pulled to his feet by his fellow Hero. Link dusted himself off. He cast a sorrowful look at his homeland before he began to walk back to the first house.

The Hero of Twilight feared that Link would enter the building, but he didn't. Instead, Link climbed up on the wall behind it and turned to the ivy. "Follow me," he commanded. He gripped the ivy and pulled himself to the top, turning around and offering his hand to the Hero of Twilight.

The other Hero also scaled the ivy, accepting Link's hand. Link spun around and charged over to a Mad Scrub, which he utterly defeated within the minute. He turned back to his Hylian companion.

"These are the Lost Woods," he said. "We need to go through here to reach the Sacred Forest Meadow. After that, we should see Saria."

The Hero of Twilight nodded and followed Link inside the woods.

"CUCCKOOOO!"

Both Heroes flinched and looked around, searching for the noise.

"Was that a Cucco?" Link asked.

"That's the second time we've heard that noise," Navi said. "I'm not sure where it's coming from, but it only calls out here, in the Lost Woods."

The Hero of Twilight nodded. He looked around. "What's up with this place?"

The woods were truly interesting. They appeared similar to the Sacred Grove, but there were no blocked paths. Instead, there were four paths to choose from. Each looked exactly identical: a fallen, hollow log that was big enough to ride a horse through. They were fenced in by a massive wall, encased in a natural box. The sky above them was easily seen, not blotted out by the trees still standing on top of the wall. Ivy and grass were visible on the top, but there was no way to reach it.

"Do you remember how to get through this place?" Navi asked.

"Yes," Link replied. He turned to the right and entered the hollow log. He was relieved to see that the scenery had largely remained the same. There was still a small fence bordering a steep drop to another spot. A ladder lead down to the other area, which was covered in tall grass. A tree had been cut down and had fallen adjacent to its stump. Another tree grew close to the wall near the ladder, a target sign hanging from one branch. On the top, it had been cut, and a small bush that Link knew used to be a Deku Scrub was on to the cut part.

To his left was the path that he now needed to take: another hollow log that would lead him deeper into the forest. Link rested his hand on the wall, gazing longingly into the darkness that clouded the log.

"It's still the same," he said quietly.

"Yes," Navi agreed. "Are you alright, Link?"

"Yes." He felt like talking to his Skull Kid friends so he jumped over the fence and landed on the ground. He looked around and noticed all the similarities. He spotted the two Skull Kids glaring at him. They looked exactly the same: orange, straw, witch-like hats with belts of rings banding them graced their solid black heads; their mouths were beak-like, and their outfits were also made of straw; they wore green vests and pants that were made of grass. In their hands they held flutes.

Link stood on the stump and raised his Ocarina to his lips, inviting them to play a song with him. He was surprised to find darts in his waist and chest. Link staggered off the stump and raised his weapons to defend himself. More darts came flying at him, shot from the flutes of the Skull Kids.

Link leapt back. "Hey!" he protested. "We were friends once! Do you not remember me either?"

Pain raced up his leg, and the front of his tights were stained red. In a few moments, the blood would be gone, but until then, he had this stinging pain to overcome.

"I don't want to fight you!" he declared, spinning around and climbing up the ladder. He watched the Kids disappear from a safe distance. Link groaned. He plucked out a dart and threw it into the dirt. "Ow."

"Link…" Navi started.

"I guess even they don't like me anymore, huh, Navi?"

"Link…"

Link sighed. "Let's go find Saria." He turned to leave, the blood vanishing from his enchanted clothes. He never made it far because Navi zipped out of hiding and rapidly bounced up and down in front of him.

"Link! Where's Link?!"

Link hesitated. "I don't know," he replied. "Why?"

"Link! He doesn't have a fairy!"

Link's face paled. He had completely forgotten about that. He had just encountered the Skull Kids, who were children who wandered into the Lost Woods and got lost because they didn't have fairies to guide them through it. When adults got lost, they became Stalfos. If the same thing were to happen to the Hero of Twilight…

Link spun in a circle, searching for his missing Hylian companion. He leaned over the balcony, looking down. He ran forward into the darkness of the log.

Before him were three other choices: two more hollow fallen logs off to his sides and a concrete doorway directly in front of him. A boulder the same size he was stood right beside the arch. He was still inside the natural "box" that the Lost Woods formed at every turn.

The Hero of Twilight was nowhere to be found. Link whirled around and ran back the way he had come from. "Link!" he called.

"Link!" Navi echoed.

Link entered another hole and darkness clouded his vision. He blinked to find himself standing outside the Woods. Stunned, he turned around to run back inside. A noise stopped him.

"CUCCKOOOO!"

"Link!" he shouted, sprinting back into the blackness of the Lost Woods

"Link!" Navi copied.

The Hero of Time ran straight forward, still calling, only to end up back outside. He turned a circle, looking around in case his friend had run out here. There was no trace of the missing Hylian. "LINK!"

"I hope he isn't lost," Navi whispered. She flew around for a moment before returning to her friend. "He's not here, Link…"

Link reentered the Lost Woods and ran back to the right. "LINK!" he shouted urgently.

There was still no response. Link took a wrong turn and once again ended up back outside, severely confused. He stopped in his tracks and looked at the Woods entrance. Where had the Hero of Twilight disappeared off to? How was Link ever going to find him? The Lost Woods were so vast, and there were sections of it he couldn't even access because Navi wouldn't allow him to find them. Her fairy senses prohibited him from getting lost. He could wander in circles, but she would never let him end up anywhere but the Kokiri Village.

But the Hero of Twilight didn't have her. He was all alone. He had no one to tell him where to go, or why he needed to go there. He wouldn't return to the Kokiri Village. He would remain in those Woods until he died and became a Stalfos.

"Please don't be lost…" Link whispered, walking back into the Woods.

"We need to go," Navi responded. She wasn't happy that they couldn't search for the Hero of Twilight either, but they had a mission. Maybe, just maybe, the other Hylian would find his way out alone.

But it was unlikely.

. . . . .

 **A/N: My apologies if the Hero of Time seems like a weakling in this chapter. Really, I had no intention of making him a wimp…because wimps in stories aren't something I enjoy. So, this should be the only chapter he really breaks down in. But it's only because he is technically a child in the body of an adult (the reverse of Detective Conan, haha!) that I made him react the way he did. So again, I'm sorry for the wimpishness and I'll try not to let that happen again.**


	7. A Very Confused Sheikah

**A/N: Twilight Princess Link and Ocarina of Time Link are gonna become good friends (eventually), so they're gonna make lots of jokes to lighten their mood. But most times, they'll be serious, so don't worry. It's only at certain points I can't resist writing silliness! XD As usual, I do not own the Legend of Zelda or Nintendo.  
**

 **Twilight Princess Link's perspective.**

Chapter Six

A Very Confused Sheikah

Link was closer to the Hero of Time than the other Hero and his fairy companion knew. The reason for Link's silence was caused by the fact that he was talking, and it would be rude for him to turn around and yell, "I'm here! Quit shouting!"

He really hadn't traveled far. When the Hero of Time had walked into the right path, Link had walked left. Let the other Hylian go the right direction; Link had his own ideas. He wanted to explore this strange place that reminded him so much of the Sacred Grove. If he got lost, all he would need to do is transform into a wolf and sniff his way back to his friend by identifying the other Hero's scent.

From what Link had seen of this place, he found it vast and interesting. He had entered the blackness and found himself in a large area with a high, unclimbable barrier. Light barely peeked through the tree branches. Another hollow fallen log was off to the far left wall. There was nothing before him except for two tree stumps. One was much larger than the other, also too high to climb. The other was further away and he could easily stand on it. He had walked forward and noticed a very skinny man sleeping in front of the trees.

It had taken him no more than ten seconds to remember his blue feathered friend, Cojiro. The Cucco had been crowing because he could sense his master. Why Link hadn't figured that out right away made him feel stupid, but he shook off his negative emotions, brought the Cucco out of his inventory, and held it in front of the scrawny man.

The man was obviously Hylian. He had long ears, but his skin was pale and he was shirtless. His bones were sticking out like he hadn't eaten for a while. He wore yellowish pants and black shoes.

And he was also in distress…just like everyone else in past-day Hyrule.

The moment Link had brought out the Cucco, the man had awoken and extended his arms, which were trembling. He was so surprised, and he looked emotionally hurt from seeing the blue Cucco in someone else's care.

"Cojiro?" the scrawny man asked. "Why? Normally only a nice guy like me can tame you…"

Link hadn't received an opportunity to reply. The man kept talking.

"Which means… You… You must be a nice guy! Must be! You must be!"

Link wanted to take a step back, but this man obviously had no intention of harming him, so he held his ground. He needed to help this stranger…somehow. If the man requested something of him, he would oblige.

"Please Mr. Nice Guy! Please!"

 _And there's the request,_ Link thought, waiting patiently.

"Deliver this stuff to the old hag in the potion shop in Kakariko Village! This will disappear if you take too long, so you gotta hurry!"

Link considered it. If it were an item like Cojiro, he could simply carry it along and go to the potion shop whenever he revisited Kakariko. This way, he could continue his quest without much interference. However, now he actually had to head straight to the Village and wasn't permitted to take any detours.

"Link!" he heard the Hero of Time call for what seemed the twelfth time. Navi yelled the Hero of Twilight's name as well, but he did not allow himself to reply. He wasn't permitted to.

Well, if the other Hylian Hero was heading to the Forest Temple, it would be alright for him to catch up and reunite with him later. There wouldn't be much trouble caused by assisting this poor man…would there?

"I accept," Link said, holding out his hand. The man placed something in it, which he took and examined.

 _I got an Odd Mushroom!_ Link thought. _A fresh mushroom like this is sure to spoil quickly! I need to take it to the Kakariko Potion Shop, immediately!_

Link spun around and dashed back the way he had come from. He stopped before he exited the forest. He noted that Navi and the Hero of Time were no longer calling after him. Strange. He didn't have time to hunt them down and tell them where he was going, so he shouted, "I'M GOING TO KAKARIKO! I'LL COME BACK IN A BIT!"

He dashed into the Kokiri Village and stopped. He maybe had thirty minutes to get to Kakariko. He could never make that on foot…and if he did, he probably would have only seconds to spare. He needed a faster method of transportation. A method he hadn't bothered trying in past-day Hyrule.

"Midna," Link called.

"What is it, Link?" Midna rose out of Link's shadow, waiting expectantly.

"Transform into wolf."

Midna grinned evilly. Black squares floated into the air and an object materialized in her hand. She pressed it into Link's palm. The Hero of Twilight grunted and sank to his knees. His body turned solid black and began to subtly change. The main differences in his appearance were that his hands became thicker and shorter; something grew off his paw; and his tailbone was now visible. Black squares broke off his body, revealing his now-bestial form. He growled and stood up, shaking himself, his fur coat gleaming.

He had transformed into a wolf for the first time in past-day Hyrule.

Midna appeared above him and landed on his back, causing him to cough and glare back at her, growling softly. She grinned at this and nudged him in the sides.

Link sprinted forward and leapt off the large hill, heading for the exit of the Kokiri Village. He bypassed the bushy monsters he didn't know the name of, as well as the Deku Babas. One tried to eat him, but he sidestepped and dashed out the hollow fallen tree. He found himself back in Hyrule Field.

Link thundered through the fields and skidded to a halt beside the stone bridge, which he leapt onto and continued running. As he neared the stairs to get into Kakariko, he looked up at Midna.

Midna stared down at him. "What is it, Link?"

" _Transform into human,"_ he replied, his words no more than simple growls. He had almost completely gotten used to his wolf voice, but it was still strange to him. He found it odd when considered that what used to be Hylian was now Wolf…and that Midna understood Wolf.

Link stopped his consideration when he felt a strange sensation in his body before he turned solid black and squares broke off of him. He got to his feet, now human, and entered Kakariko. He was feeling fortunate to have explored this place earlier and learn where the potion shop was, or he would have had to search all over for it.

He ascended two sets of stairs and walked into the building on the right. It had simple wooden floor inside, as well as a light hanging from the ceiling. A man with shoulder-length brown hair and a green shirt waited behind the counter. Shelves were behind him, bearing various wares that could be encased in a bottle. Link didn't need any of those things, so he dashed to the left side of the counter and exited out the back door.

He ended up outside standing on another set of stairs. A perfectly round hole was in the center of the ground below him. More stairs led him to a building. He ran up them, realizing that he had more minutes remaining than he had given himself credit for. Grinning, Link ripped open the door and walked inside.

His smile faded. He was in a dark room. Red carpet led him to a counter, but the rest of the floor was wood. Thick tubes big enough for him to fit in rested along the wall, mysterious liquid swirling up them. The light above him was incredibly dim, and his vision was almost reduced to nothing. He wanted to draw out his lantern, but he wasn't sure if it would spoil his mushroom.

Behind the counter was a strange woman that Link forced himself to approach. The lady wore a red shirt. Her dark hair was stringy, and her eyes were black due to the light. She held something strange in her hands. She looked up at Link as he approached.

This was obviously the "old hag" that the scrawny man was talking about. Link didn't want to be here with her longer than he had to, so he reached into his pocket and handed her the mushroom.

The lady was surprised. After a moment, she scowled and said, "That bum! He had to go into the forest…" She stopped herself and changed her tone. "…..I see."

Link gave her a confused expression, not sure what she was talking about.

"Hey, give it to me now!" she commanded.

Link flinched and slowly handed the mushroom over to her. His voice was almost inaudible as he said, "Alright…"

The woman took the mushroom. The light around her vanished, and the room turned black. Link feared the worst, but the world around him began to brighten. The woman was still glaring at him, but she hadn't attacked him or anything. He was still safe…if it was possible to be safe in that place.

"If you see that fool, give this to him. It is the strongest medicine I have ever produced. However, this potion will not work on a monster…"

 _Monster?_ Link wondered.

The woman forced the thing into his hands. It looked like a glob of red goop on a brown piece of paper. Link grudgingly accepted it and studied it carefully.

 _I received an Odd Potion! I don't know what's going on between this lady and that guy, but I need to take this to the Lost Woods!_

"They say there is no medicine to cure a fool…" the lady said, a look of mournfulness on her face. "I guess that's true…"

Link backed up before turning and running out the door. Fortunately, the medicine didn't look like it was going to expire any time soon, so he could meander his way back to the Forest without having to run back to the lady.

Even so, he wanted to return to the Forest as soon as he could. He needed to reunite with the Hero of Time. Also, that man required this medicine for reasons unknown. Link wanted to give it to him as fast as possible. He exited Kakariko.

"Midna," he said.

"What is it, Link?"

"Transform into wolf." Link sank to his knees and turned black. The squares of Twilight broke off his body and left him as a beast. Midna landed on his back, and he dashed forward, heading back to the Forest.

He was surprised when he entered it again. He walked inside and became human once more. He turned left into the fallen log in order to find the man, but he didn't see him.

Instead, a Kokiri girl waited for him. A fairy fluttered around her head. She grinned at his approach. Link would have been fine with that normally, but it sent shivers up his spine now.

"Where is…?" he began.

"That guy isn't here anymore," the girl told him.

Link was stunned. The guy certainly would have waited for him. Why would he leave now?

"Why?" he asked.

"Anybody who comes into the forest will be lost," she replied.

 _Anybody?_ Link wondered. Wasn't _he_ the proof that that statement was false?

"Everybody will become a Stalfos. Everybody, Stalfos. So, he's not here anymore."

"A…Stalfos?" Link wondered aloud. He hadn't expected that. Why hadn't the Hero of Time mentioned that? It was definitely important information that he needed to know. Or had the other Hylian not known that information himself?

Link shook off his surprise and said, "But I had to give something to him. This." He reached into his inventory and brought out the Odd Potion, holding it out for her to see.

The girl repeated her words exactly to him. Only her last sentences were different; "Everybody will become a Stalfos. Everybody, Stalfos. So, he's not here anymore. Only his saw is left. Hee, hee."

Link studied her, waiting.

"That medicine is made of forest mushrooms. Give it back!"

"May I please have his saw in exchange?" Link asked, giving her the medicine. He felt bad for not assisting the scrawny man, but there was no way he could relocate him. He didn't have time to. He needed to complete his quest. If he encountered that person again, he would be sure to apologize.

The girl took the medicine and handed Link a strange-looking blade. It had a simple wooden stick for a handle, but the blade jutted out farther on the sides, jagged. Link accepted the blade, considering it.

 _I returned the Odd Potion and got the Poacher's Saw in exchange! According to the girl, the young punk guy must have left it behind._

As he was still holding the saw, Link heard the girl say, "Heh, heh, heh. Are you going to be…too? Heh, heh!"

Link slipped the saw into his pouch and backed away from the girl. Did she want him to transform into a monster? Also, if everyone who entered these woods and became lost, why wasn't she even remotely concerned about herself?

Link noticed the fairy glittering around her before realization dawned on him. The Kokiri lived in these woods for a reason: everyone else besides them would get lost and never be able to leave. It was the perfect defense mechanism. Unless travelers had a fairy, they would become Stalfos. Simple healing fairies didn't count either; wanderers needed to have a guiding fairy.

So maybe even Kokiri could get lost in these woods. Was that what the creature Link was seeing now on top of the stump was? Why hadn't he seen that thing earlier? Had it even been there all along?

Link turned away from the girl and her strange company and walked out through the fallen log he had come from. He shuddered and stopped. "Midna," he called softly.

"What is it, Link?" Midna appeared out of his shadow. Even her face displayed concern. She waited for him to state his request.

"Transform into wolf."

"Tell me…do you even have anything to track him down with? Any sort of item you can use to identify his scent from all these other ones?"

Link hesitated. He wanted to kick himself. Why hadn't he considered that earlier?

"Well, if Link grew up in this town, why don't you try searching for his house? Who knows? Maybe seven years won't do much to his smell. It's our only option…"

Link sighed and exited the forest. He leapt over a fence and dropped to the ground, looking around. Hadn't there been a building the Hero of Time had ignored? Yes…a raised house similar to Link's own. Perhaps the reason for his negligence had been caused by his knowledge that no one lived there.

Link walked over to the house and scaled the ladder. He entered the building and looked around, surprised to see how empty it was. Even his own home, which he rarely visited these days, was filled with more junk than this place.

There was a sign tacked to the wall in front of him. A window sat directly behind the white bed beside the sign. A few unbreakable pots decorated the wall. Another random object was to his left, but he didn't much care to examine it. The bed was his best bet.

Link requested to become a wolf again, and Midna obliged. He approached the bed and sniffed it. He lifted his noise to the air, asking himself a question.

 _Do I want to forget the Reekfish Scent and learn a new smell?_ Link hesitated. _Yes…yes, I definitely do._ He took a deep breath, absorbing the scent. _I learned the Scent of Link!_

As all scents had colors, Link supposed he shouldn't have been surprised when the scent turned out to be green. Even so, it made him snort a wolf laugh as he looked outside and saw the color hovering outside. Link dashed out and leapt down the stairs.

That was when he hit his first problem.

Link shook his head, surprised. His friend's scent was literally _everywhere_! It was on the sides of buildings, bushes, fences, rocks, grass, and even above the water. Green flooded his vision, forcing him to shut his eyes and shake his head again. He tried not to concentrate on what he smelled, causing the scents around him to disappear. He heaved a sigh of relief, walking from memory over to the ivy behind the house with the rocks out front.

Link became a human again and climbed up, before Midna returned him to his wolf body. He dashed into the forest and focused on the smell of his friend. To his surprise, the scent he was finding wasn't fresh. It was seven years old, and somehow hadn't faded. If anything, the forest had preserved it permanently. Why he wasn't able to track the Hero of Time from his current scent, Link wasn't sure. Even so, he didn't mind. He needed to follow the smell.

He walked to the left, where he had found that girl, before quickly changing his mind and walking to the right path instead. He wasn't going back to that girl unless he had to. Besides, the Hero of Time hadn't passed him earlier, so that path couldn't be the way.

Link jumped over the railing before him and wandered into the tall grass, still following the green scent. It was very confusing; it led around in circles, as if the young Hero of Time had decided to go exploring. It was an inconvenience to Link, but he would have to tolerate it. He walked over to the log, staring at two figures playing flutes. They examined him, still playing their flutes.

Link crawled onto the stump and listened to their melody. He threw his head into the air and began to howl their notes back to them. They studied him curiously.

"We do not sing," said the one on the left.

"Why do you howl?" asked the one on the right.

Link cocked his head to the side. He took a surprised step back and fell off his stump as the creatures leapt back and vanished into the shadows. Link turned and faced the ladder.

"Midna…"

Midna appeared out of his shadow and transformed him into a human at his request. He climbed up the ladder and then called out to her again. She turned him back into a wolf, and he ran into the next hollow log.

The scent led to the right, so Link disregarded the other paths and followed it. He found himself at a two way intersection. Right in front of him was a pool of water with a smooth stone jutting out of it. No doubt, it led somewhere good, but Link didn't have time to explore it. Two fallen logs were to his left and right. Someone stood before the one to his left, and the scent trail led there. Link went to approach it, but he was stopped by the person.

It was a young boy wearing the typical green garb of the Kokiri. However, he had pants, green boots, and a sleeveless top with a white sleeveless shirt beneath, and his hat was pointed up: a fashion Link found he was pleased he didn't have. He preferred the windsock look, oddly enough. The boy had dirty blonde hair that barely peeked out from the front of his hat. Instead, it fluffed out in the back. His cheeks had strange freckles on them. His eyes were big and blue, and he had a scowling face.

He stepped in Link's path and wielded a stick threateningly. He glared at the black wolf and said, "Get back, Wolfos!"

Link stopped and gave the boy a confused stare. The last time he had challenged another person who was normally good, he had earned a good swipe to the ribs by a sword. He didn't want to repeat that, even if this boy was only wielding a stick. However, he really needed to get past this child.

Link backed up and let out a soft whine. _Please?_ he seemed to say.

"Shoo!" the boy said, swinging the long stick. Link shot back and cocked his head. How could he trick this kid into leaving? Maybe he needed to verbally persuade him…

He turned around and transformed into a human before returning.

"What are you?" the boy asked. "Though you wear Kokirish clothing, you can't fool me! I promised Saria I wouldn't let anybody go through here!"

Link hesitated. He _still_ couldn't get in? Why? He sighed. There had to be some way…

"Or…are you with that other man who came here earlier?"

Link immediately nodded. "That's my friend. We agreed to go through here together, but we got separated because of a…distraction. I ended up running back to get something, and he was gone when I returned. May I please pass through here?"

"How do I know you're not just agreeing with me?"

"My friend is followed by a fairy, despite the fact that he doesn't look like you people anymore. He wields a blueish-purple sword and a Hylian Shield. His outfit is similar to mine."

The boy considered it. "So you do know the person I'm referring to…but what proof do you have that you're friends?"

Link ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He couldn't prove that…not yet at least. After a moment, he said, "I really have no evidence. But…we agreed to save Saria. We're heading for the same destination: the Sacred Forest Meadow."

The boy glared at Link. "You can't pass through here until proving that you're either friends with that man or with Saria."

 _I'll be here for the rest of my life!_ Link thought.

A strange melody floated through the air. It started off low in pitch, then became slightly higher, before becoming even higher. It repeated twice: a noise Link vaguely remembered hearing whistle through the trees in the Sacred Grove.

Thoughtlessly, he picked up a blade of grass and whistled the noise.

"That melody?!" the boy exclaimed. "Saria plays that song all the time! You… Do you know Saria?"

 _Not really,_ Link thought, but he didn't say anything. He hadn't expected that to happen, but he was grateful it had.

"That song…" the boy mused. "Saria taught that song only to her friends… Okay… I trust you."

 _I wouldn't,_ Link thought. _I'm the most suspicious person here. Saria really needs better guards._

"When I saw your friend…I don't know why, but I remember…him…" the boy said quietly under his breath.

Link watched him walk out of the way, and he entered the cleared path.

"Midna," he said.

"You really need this a lot, don't you?"

Link turned black and transformed into a wolf. Midna landed on top of him and grinned.

"Man, that kid sure was trusting, huh?" she said.

Link snorted and walked forward, concentrating on the scent. He entered the path in front of him before turning left and then right. He found himself standing in an open area. He no longer felt boxed in, which was very pleasant. He heard a noise like a cry of pain, which quickly killed his serenity. He looked on both sides of him, listening carefully to see if he could hear the noise again.

No, but he heard the noise of someone hitting the ground with a thud. He dashed forward, ignoring the tall bushes he was plodding through. He entered a split in the wall and ran right, still following the scent of the young Hero of Time.

He found himself faced by a wall, so he turned left. He was forced to take another left and run down a long path. Link noticed several sections of wall missing, covered by tall grass. He disregarded them and turned right.

He followed that path to a pool of water, which he jumped into and paddled across. He found himself with three choices: transform into a human and climb the ladder on his left, run down to the end of the path, or turn right and see what possibly lay in the tall grass.

Link chose the right path due to the noise of a monster crying out in pain.

"That's what you get for whacking Link twelve times with that stupid club, you ugly brute!" a female voice that could only belong to Navi called triumphantly.

Link immediately transformed into a human and walked through the grass, heading for his companions. He spotted them loitering around in front of a bunch of rupees. The Hero of Time wore a tired expression. His body was trembling from exhaustion, but he dragged himself over to the money and picked it up, stuffing it in his wallet. His clothes were in tatters and stained crimson. However, they were quickly mending. His blood was also fading from them, but he was still hurt. To make things worse for him, Navi was bouncing around his head.

Link chuckled. "You look terrible," he called, walking over.

The Hero of Time looked up at him, his eyes half-open. After a few seconds of silence, he took on a bewildered expression and demanded, "How did you get here?!"

"I walked," Link replied. Navi fluttered over to him and began rapidly bouncing up and down, causing him to take a step back.

"You _walked_?!" she asked. "But…how did you not get lost?! You should still be wandering in those woods, lost! A Stalfos!"

"So I heard," Link replied.

"Then why did you wander off?! You should have become a Stalfos! There's no way you could have found your way out!"

The Hero of Time nodded his agreement.

Link gave them an annoyed look. "Such faith you have in me…" he muttered.

Navi fluttered back over to the Hero of Time's shoulder. She landed on it and said, "Those who wander into those woods without a fairy become Stalfos! You should have too!"

"I'm supposed to be a Hero…chosen by the goddesses and the Master Sword. Getting my life snuffed out by some woods seems a little less than heroic," Link replied. He nodded at the blood on the Hero of Time's face. "Have a party?" he asked.

"Yes," the Hero of Time replied, wiping away the crimson. "And you missed it."

"Was it fun?"

"Well, only if your definition of fun is getting impaled by a bunch of pig-monsters Navi tells me are called Moblins. I think they wanted me to look like my Ocarina: blue and full of holes."

"Well, at least you're alive," Link replied.

"For now," the Hero of Time said. "Out of nine hearts, I have four. And I'm out of milk…"

Link sighed. "Do you have an empty bottle? Hand it over."

The Hero of Time grudgingly handed over his precious bottle to Link.

"To apologize for my absence, have this," Link said, reaching into his own pouch and bringing out a red potion. He had meant to fill the bottle with a fairy anyway, but he hadn't needed the potion so he never used it. He poured the red liquid into his companion's empty bottle. He corked his own and put it away before returning the Hero of Time's bottle to him.

"Red potion?"

"I don't need it. I have chainmail."

The Hero of Time put away his now-full bottle and turned to walk up the next flight of stairs. "Thanks," he said. "I guess we need to get going. You can tell me where you disappeared off to later."

Link laughed nervously and followed his Hylian companion up the stairs. They were barely wide enough for the two to walk side by side, so they were forced to ascend them single-file.

As they walked up, Link noticed the scenery barely peeking into his view. If he squinted, he could see a tree in front of a temple, with some stairs leading up to them. However, when he neared the top, he saw that the stairs were destroyed. To his left was a strange stone that reminded him of the ones he used to howl at when he was a wolf. He would have to sing for it later.

There was nothing to Link's right, but directly in front of him was a slightly raised hexagon stage with a Triforce designed into it. A wind pattern was in the middle of the center piece.

Tall walls rose up all around, obviously part of the temple. A tree stump sat right beside the crumbled stairs. Link felt as if he was looking at the Temple of Time, only to shake those thoughts out of his head. This wasn't it. It was the Forest Temple.

He watched the Hero of Time run over to the stump, stopping right in front of it. He wore the same hopeless expression he had when he first learned that the Kokiri didn't remember him. He gently rested his hand on the stump and muttered softly, "Saria…"

Link began to walk forward but stopped in his tracks as a figure dropped into view ten feet from the Hero of Time. He wore a blue skin-tight outfit with a white front bearing a crying red eye symbol.

The Hero of Time flinched and turned to face the figure.

Sheik walked forward, a mournful expression on his face…or what could be seen of it anyway. "The flow of time is always cruel…" he started. He glanced to his right before doing a double-take at the waiting Hero of Twilight. He rapidly looked between the two Hylian Heroes and pointed at both of them. "Which…? Who…? How…?!"

Link walked over to the Hero of Time and held out his hand to greet the confused Sheikah. "Hello, my name is Link. Pleasure to encounter you again, Sheik."

The Hero of Time noticed his companion and also held out his hand to Sheik. "Greetings, Sheik. I am also Link. Which one of us were you meaning to speak with?"

Sheik touched his hand to his head and stepped back. "I…the…Hero of Time?"

"Well, that would be both of us because we both wield the Master Sword," the Hero of Time said.

Link backed up and put his hand behind the other Hero. "That title belongs to you, my friend," he said. "I am known as someone else."

"Ah…" Sheik said, but he was still obviously astounded. He tried to correct himself and continue his speech, but he was still struggling for words. He composed himself and looked into the Hero of Time's eyes, deciding that it would be better for him to ignore the other Link and start over. "The flow of time is always cruel… Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it."

Link nodded and pulled out a blank piece of paper. He could play the game of ignorance, too. He sat down and began to write down the Sheikah's words on the page, as well as draw a map of the forest from his memory.

"A…thing that doesn't change with time…" Sheik tried to keep himself from watching the distracting Hero of Twilight sitting on the ground. He forced himself to not break his line of sight with the Hero of Time. "…is a memory of younger days."

"'Memory of younger days'," Link softly repeated as he wrote that on his map. He looked up at the Sheikah, who was glowering at him. "Sorry," he said, "but I thought your inspirational and accurate words needed to be recorded for all time. Perhaps a scholar could review them and critique you?"

Sheik heaved a sigh and continued his words. "In order to come back here again, play the Minuet of Forest." From his back pocket, he drew a golden harp. He began strumming it. The first note was deeper in pitch than the rest. The second was slightly lighter, followed by the third which was a little deeper. The next note was deeper, and then the final two were repeats of their immediate predecessors.

Link looked up in time to see the Hero of Time pull a blue Ocarina from nowhere and begin to play it. He mimicked the notes as much as he possibly could on a different instrument, but he got it right on his very first try. Link quickly turned back to his paper and scrawled the notes in. He turned back to watch the two play their song together.

Once again, he started to feel useless. What had he done here? Was he even necessary? The Hero of Time was the one Sheik was here for. He had even cleared the dangers of the forest without anyone's help but Navi's. Link shook his negative emotions off and stood up, brushing himself off.

The Hero of Time and Sheik ceased their duet. Sheik stared at the other Hero and said, "Link…" He glanced at the Hero of Twilight warily before turning back to the Hero of Time. "I'll see you again…" He stepped back and reached to the air, hands clenched into fists.

The Hero of Time shielded his eyes, but Link didn't. Instead, he witnessed the blinding flash that happened when the Sheikah threw something on the ground. His vision turned white and he saw nothing but snow. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, trying to see the world. After a few moments of agonizing white, he began to see again. He noted that Sheik was gone, so he looked around before turning back to the Hero of Time.

"I don't think I've ever seen Sheik so stunned," he said.

The Hero of Time chuckled. "He was shocked when he met me, as if…" He trailed off. He glared at Link and said, "…as if he had already spoken his words and wasn't expecting to have to repeat them."

Link chuckled. "I suppose I beat you to the Temple of Time."

"I'd been waiting there for seven years, so who's the real winner here?"

"Me. I beat you to Sheik and I didn't even have the extreme waiting time."

The Hero of Time snorted and was about to walk to the pillar before Link stopped him. "By the way, what was that instrument you were playing?" he asked.

"The Ocarina of Time?" the Hero of Time inquired, bringing it back out of his inventory.

Link studied it. "I don't suppose you have two of those…?"

The Hero of Time laughed. "No. This is a treasure passed down to members of the Royal Family. Princess Zelda gave this to me so I could access the Temple of Time."

"I see…" Link muttered.

"Why do you ask?" The Hero of Time nudged his friend. "Don't tell me you want to learn to play an Ocarina as well…"

"Perhaps. But I suppose the request was foolish." Link began to walk forward, only to be stopped himself. He looked back at the Hero of Time, who was resting his right hand on Link's shoulder. His other hand was holding a cream-colored Ocarina.

"I am required to possess the Ocarina of Time…but you can use my spare. However, this was given to me by someone very important to me, so after our adventure together is complete, I want this back!" He placed it in Link's hands.

Link examined it. It was fairly simple: just a cream-colored Ocarina. However, it must have contained some extreme sentimental value for the Hero of Time to hang onto it despite already having a replacement.

 _I've borrowed Link's Ocarina. Once our quest is complete, I'll need to return this to him,_ Link thought. He put it to his lips and began to play a melody he knew by heart. It started off high before the next two notes lowered. He repeated the noise, playing six notes.

The Hero of Time laughed. "Hey," he started, "that's Epona's Song! How did you know that?"

Link stared back at him, confused. _Epona exists in past-day Hyrule as well?_

"Hey!" Navi urged. "You can save your discussions for later! Saria needs you two, remember? Come on!" She floated up to the tree growing on top of the stairs.

"Coming," the Hero of Time muttered, bringing the Hookshot out of his inventory and holding it out. He fired at the tree, and the hook stabbed into the wood. Instantly, he was pulled up and onto the stairs. He turned to Link, who was still on the ground, surprised. "Are you coming too?"

Link walked forward and studied the tree. "Go on ahead. It'll take me a second to get up there."

"Don't want to borrow my Hookshot?"

"I'm already borrowing your Ocarina! If I die in there, I don't want to owe you everything!"

The Hero of Time chuckled. He walked into the temple, swallowed by the darkness clouding its entrance.

Link growled his frustration. "Think you can get me up there, Midna?" he asked. He received his answer when his body turned black and he was brought to his knees. Black squares broke off of him, and Midna zipped up to the top of the stairs. She displayed her hair-hand and beckoned Link forward with it. She giggled.

Link tensed his shoulders and kicked off the ground, targeting his impish friend. He landed where she had stood and called to her again. She transformed him back into a human and he adjusted his clothes slightly. He walked into the darkness before him, satisfied that he wouldn't be stopped by the obstacles of past-day Hyrule. He was engulfed by the shadows, but he wasn't afraid.

The light cleared, revealing that he was in a room with the Hero of Time. There were trees on both sides, growing as high as the ceiling would let them. Strangely, the tops of them were cut, as were their branches. Before them was a door with a stone entryway. The walls were made of cobblestone, and the ground was simply short grass. Ivy grew anywhere it could hook into, but it was most prominent on the right side, forming a climbable surface up to the trees.

The Hero of Time had turned at the approach of his friend. He said nothing, but instead directed his attention back to what lay before them.

At long last, they had entered the Forest Temple.

. . . . .

 **A/N:** **I know it's called a lyre because harps are huge, but the Zelda universe calls it a harp so...it's a harp. Also, I like Twilight Princess Link's major contribution of usefulness to the quest...distracting Sheik! XD Don't worry though, TP Link will prove his utmost importance in dungeons. After all, he does have a very large and diverse arsenal of weapons...**


	8. The Forest Temple

**A/N: Big thanks to everyone who reads this fanfic, and also to The Legend of Zelda Fangirl for her review. To answer your question, TP Link will return to the past with OoT Link, but he will not revert to being a child. He can't lose any years due to the fact he's already hundreds of years into the past, but in an alternate Hyrule, so going back a few more shouldn't affect him. Anyway, as usual, I do not own The Legend of Zelda or Nintendo.**

 **Ocarina of Time Link's perspective.**

Chapter Seven

The Forest Temple

The Forest Temple seemed beautiful the second Link had first walked in. After he took the first step forward, the Hero of Twilight silently following along behind him, he decided that he hated this place already. The fact that Saria was here made him annoyed, because that meant he was required to find her before he could leave.

It wasn't that he didn't like the overgrowth on the walls, or the smell of forest dirt. No, it was the two Wolfos in front of him that convinced him that this place was bad. They stood on their hind legs and were hunched over, with their arms almost dragging on the ground. That posture surely couldn't be good for their backs. The fur on their forearms was thick and fluffy, and tough as armor. Their eyes were a vibrant green. Their fur was black in the shorter areas only to be grey in the fluffier sections. Their tail was fluffed up and wavered in the wind they created when they ran. Their tongues hung out of their mouths and they were drooling. Their claws were so large that they almost curled back into their hands.

And they had the most dreaded howling noise.

In fact, the noise was so painful that the Hero of Twilight had to cover his ears and growl back. Link was severely regretting having long ears. He almost blocked his own, but he had already fought one of these baddies seven years ago and knew how they combated people. They were weak, but their claws seriously burned when they raked across Link's waist: that much he remembered.

However, before he could charge one and take it on, leaving the other for the Hero of Twilight, he was knocked to the ground. He raised his shield just in time to be crushed under the weight of one Wolfos, as opposed to being stabbed by its razor-sharp back claws. He felt the pressure on top of him relinquish and he sat up in time to watch both Wolfos circle his Hylian companion.

The Hero of Twilight had a stare so cold that Link was almost certain that he was a wolf himself. The two beasts and the Hylian regarded each other. The Wolfos snapped and snarled, circling their prey. The Hero of Twilight was growling back at them, his teeth gritted. He charged one and sliced at it, but it covered its head and shielded with its arms, deflecting the blade.

The Hero of Twilight was then attacked from behind by the other Wolfos. He landed on his stomach, blood soaking into the back of his tunic. He leapt to his feet and spun around, smacking into both Wolfos but not harming either. They started circling him again.

The Hero of Twilight didn't wait for the beasts to attack him. He charged one again.

"Hey!" Navi called. "That's a Wolfos. You need to draw it close to you and watch its movement closely! Attack it when it drops its guard!"

The Hero of Twilight had other ideas. He thrust his shield out in front of him, smacking into the Wolfos and earning a strange _clang_ noise when his blow connected with its arms. He received his desired effect however, and the Wolfos staggered back. The Hylian Hero pursued it by leaping high into the air and swiping at its head. His sword sliced through the creature with ease. He landed on the ground and finished his move with a devastating Spin Attack, which brought the Wolfos down. It burned up in a blue flame, leaving nothing but a recovery heart.

Link was so stunned at his companion's skill that he could only watch. He would have assisted his friend if it weren't for the fact that the Hero of Twilight had more capabilities that he was willing to display.

The Hero of Twilight turned to the other Wolfos and swiped at its front. It shielded with its arms, protecting itself with its thick fur. That didn't stop him. The Hero of Twilight leapt to the side and rolled around the Wolfos. He kicked off the ground and extended his sword arm, dragging the blade across the monster's back. It howled its agony and spun around, drooling. It snapped at the other Hero, who wasn't going to allow himself to get hurt again.

The Hero of Twilight ran back up to the beast and rolled around it again, preforming the same technique he had used seconds earlier. The Wolfos howled again and collapsed to the ground, spontaneously combusting into flames and burning to nothingness. Seeing that his foes were gone, the Hero of Twilight swung his blade to the left, then right, and then spun it in his fingers as he brought it up and sheathed it.

"Incredible…" Navi murmured beside Link.

Link had to agree with her. He was also surprised at the talent his friend had just demonstrated. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked, walking over to his companion.

The Hero of Twilight considered it. "I was taught by a deceased knight of Hyrule. He resembled a Stalfos, but he was clearly a Hyrulian."

"Do you think he'll accept another apprentice?" Link inquired.

The Hero of Twilight hesitated. "No…I don't think he would. He only teaches those who have the bloodline of a specific Hero."

"Shame," Navi muttered. "Link could really use those skills."

"Hey!" Link protested. He turned to the wall overgrown with ivy and glared at the gold Skulltula on it. He pulled out the Hookshot and killed the evil arachnid with a single shot. "I have my own skills, Navi."

Link fired the chain a second time but accidentally missed the gold token he wanted. He was torn from his spot and brought to the wall. He grabbed onto the ivy and kept himself from falling.

"Link…why don't you just ask this other Link if he'll teach you?" Navi asked. She bounced up and down in front of the Hero of Twilight before landing on his shoulder. "I'm sure he would do that."

"I suppose I could," the Hero of Twilight agreed, watching Link crawl over and seize his gold token.

"Hey, there's a chest up here!" Link called.

"There is?" the Hero of Twilight asked, walking over to the ivy and preparing to climb it.

"Yeah, but its mine now. You were too slow, Link." Link climbed on top of the cut tree and walked to the end of the branch. He held out his Hookshot and pulled himself over to the tiny chest on the opposing tree. He kicked open the chest and reached down, picking up the metal key in the chest. "I got a small key!" he called triumphantly.

The Hero of Twilight looked over to the door and said, "Well, since this one isn't locked, I'll start going that direction. Come on, Link."

Link looked down at the ground. _I'm pretty sure I can make that leap,_ he thought. He jumped down, realizing only as he was falling how bad of an idea it was.

"Aaah!" he cried out. He rolled as he hit the ground, not even taking any damage from the fall. He let out an embarrassed laugh as he joined his fairy and the Hero of Twilight. "Moving on…"

Navi landed on Link's shoulder and disappeared from sight. Both Links ascended the stairs. The Hero of Twilight walked through the door first, followed by Link. They were standing in a corridor with long, low stairs. Ivy clung to the walls and fell from the ceiling like nature's curtains. The walls jutted out slightly to form pillars. At the far end of the hall, a wooden door with a gold-colored handle waited. Above it was a square tile with the symbol of wind designed into it.

The Hero of Twilight began to slightly jog forward, only to get thrown back by a monster. A giant Skulltula spun around and waited, swinging from its web and taunting the Hero. It had a skull for a body, and yellow-and-black striped spider legs.

The Hero of Twilight got back to his feet and turned back to the spider. He reached into his pouch and prepared to bring out one of his weapons, but Link stopped him.

"My turn to fight," he said. Link extended his arm, gripping the Hookshot. He fired the chain with the intention of pulling the spider off its web. Instead, he got and even better result. The hook pierced the spider's skull body and knocked it off its web. It collapsed to the ground and disappeared in a burst of flame…dead.

The Hero of Twilight examined the recovery heart, which he picked up since he was missing one. "Impressive," he told Link.

Link nodded his assent and the two walked up to the door. This time, Link entered it first. The two Heroes found themselves on a balcony with rails surrounding almost all of it, except for the stairs leading down to the ground. Down the stairs, they could see a strange-looking concrete barrier. Four gold torch pedestals blazed, each one burning with a different colored flame. An odd rectangular stone waited in the center of the barriers. Two other balconies stood on the left and right half of the room. Two arched entryways stood beside them, bordering a third balcony at the opposite end of the room.

Both Links headed for the strange stone rectangle. They were stopped in their tracks as they noticed the four flames sputter out. Four ghosts like the ones that had attacked Link in the Kakariko Graveyard materialized. They laughed, that chilling noise that would haunt Link's nightmares forever. However, unlike the normal ghosts he had encountered, these were all different colors, and they had different features to define them…almost as if they weren't the typical kind of monsters.

One was purple, one was blue, one was green, and one was red. Each one carried a torch instead of a lantern, but theirs were unlit. They waited on top of the now empty flame pedestals.

In the center of the room, the rectangle thing began to sink into the ground. The Hero of Twilight's eyes widened and he started to dash forward.

"Not again!" he called. He jumped off the stairs, only to stop dead in his tracks as the rectangle disappeared into the ground, leaving no evidence of its existence other than the square tile that looked different than the rest of the floor. The Hero of Twilight glared up at the ghosts and they laughed at him. He drew his weapons.

To Link's horror, the flames appeared on the torches that the ghosts carried. They laughed again and began to take their sweet time drifting off. The blue one flew to an arched doorway with an eye symbol above it and bars on the doors. The purple one took the opposite doorway. The green one traveled to the balcony on the right. The red one took the balcony on the left.

The Hero of Twilight was so infuriated that he was determined to chase after the spirits. From his inventory, he drew a massive bow the length of the Master Sword. He took aim at the eye on the wall and shot it. The bars over the door slid into the ceiling, out of sight, and the Hero of Twilight ran over to it, throwing it open and disappearing. The bars slid back into place, sealing him inside.

Now, only Link and Navi remained in the room. Link walked over to the place where the rectangle disappeared. He was certain that it was supposed to be some sort of lift for him to use in order to access the dungeon. Perhaps it would lead him straight to Saria, so they had closed it. That thought made him angry, so he began to march forward.

"Hey," Navi called softly, "where do you suppose Link got that bow?"

Link stopped and considered it. "Didn't he say something about having cleared a few dungeons of his own? He doesn't remember when he cleared them, but if he has a bow, perhaps he found it along his way through one of them."

"Maybe…" Navi said, sounding uncertain.

"Do you not trust Link?" Link asked.

"I still think he should be a Stalfos. He's hiding something…"

"Well…if that something isn't hurting anyone, then I suppose it's alright."

"I suppose…"

Link looked around and said, "So…which door first?"

"Well, one balcony is too high to climb, and one doorway is barred. The other doorway is blocked by those cubes. The door to your left is locked. Why not try forward, first?"

"Sounds good," Link agreed. He began jogging forward, ready to leave this place as soon as possible. He climbed onto a stage-like step, then began to ascend the stairs to the door. Ivy grew over the rails, but it was too short to be climbable.

Link heard a sound to his right, so he turned and spotted a gold Skulltula. He pulled out his Hookshot and fired at it twice, killing it and grabbing its token. He then proceeded through the door, finding himself in another corridor. However, this one was fancier than the one with the Skulltula. The walls started off red, only to transition to cream-colored bricks, and there was no ivy to be seen.

A skull with batwings extending from the sides of its head waited for Link, a blue flame blazing around it. Link held out his Hookshot and fired it at the skull, stunning it and dispelling its flame bubble. He drew the Master Sword from its sheath and pounced on the skull. It shattered, the fragments dissolving into more blue fire.

Link dashed into the door before him. It slid open for him, only to slam shut as he entered. Bars pierced the ground, containing him in this new room. Link glanced back, then returned his gaze to what was before him. There was definitely a monster here, and he would need to destroy it to return to the other sections of this Temple.

The room was fairly large, and there were a few pots waiting for him. Red pillars rose out of the ground, and the bottom section of the walls were still red.

Link raced forward. Two Stalfos rose out of the ground to greet him. They were skeletons with jagged blades that looked like they were crafted from stone. Their shield was polished blue, braced with more of the red stone. Their boots, gloves, and shoulder pauldrons were blue, and they wore tattered blue cloth around their waist. A brown leather belt was bound around the blue, yet they had no skin to hold it in place. Their skulls seemed normal enough, until their mouths, which were extremely large with several missing teeth. Their hollow eye sockets had a red glow in the center, and that allowed them to see.

Link brandished his sword and Navi fluttered over to the one on his left. He turned to it, his gaze becoming cold.

"Stalfos," Navi called to him. "Lure it close to you and watch its movement carefully! Attack it when it drops its guard!"

Link waited, glowering at it as it sidestepped to the right, then to the left. It grunted at him, an impressive feat considering that it had no lungs. It walked towards him and swung its sword, causing Link to step back and then lunge forward. He brought his sword down on the monster's waist and leg, slicing into its bones. It raised its shield, and Link stepped back.

Its buddy was still circling and had yet to draw close to him, so Link wasn't entirely concerned about it yet. He kept his eyes focused on the first one, which charged towards him. Link tried to swipe at it again, but it raised its shield and leapt into the air above him, slicing the top of his head. He cried out and hit the ground, blood dripping from his injuries.

Link shot to his feet and glared at the Stalfos, two hearts now missing from his health bar. He ran towards it, stabbed at its waist, and brought his shield close to his body to protect himself. The Stalfos swung its blade, but it clanged harmlessly off Link's shield. Link then Jump Attacked it. The Stalfos raised its own shield.

The second Stalfos caught Link's attention when it went after him. Immediately, Navi zipped over to it for Link to easily target it. The Hero of Time whirled around and slammed his blade into the Stalfos's. The monster stepped back and then tried to do that jumping technique again, which caused Link to raise his shield to defend himself. Link spun around and Jump Attacked. He charged the Stalfos and began repeatedly trying to stab it. His blade harmlessly ricocheted off, but that wasn't too important. Link paused his strikes and observed the two monsters, watching them circle. One stepped close to him and tried to strike, so Link stabbed at it and cut it down. It burned up instantly, defeated.

Link whirled around to face the second one. It was incredibly stupid because, even without its companion, it was still determined to kill him. One Jump Attack was all it took to finish off the remaining Stalfos. It combusted into green flames, which quickly died out.

Link turned and saw the bars on the only door slide up and disappear. He noticed a chest materialize on the floor. It was small, so he sheathed his weapons and walked over to it. He kicked it open and pulled out another small key.

"That makes two," Navi said. "But why would you need two at once?"

"A key is a key," Link said. "So long as they help me get through here in one piece and I save Saria, I could deal with needing twenty at once."

"Twenty is a little excessive…let's hope that never happens." Navi glided over to Link and vanished.

Link turned to the pots and smashed them, retrieving the heart from one of them. He was surprised to see a fairy in another, so he pulled out an empty bottle and caught it. Satisfied, he walked back out. He found the skull creature again, which made Navi come back out of hiding. She helped him target it. Link stunned it and then Jump Attacked it. He sheathed his weapons after it was defeated and walked back to the big room where the ghosts had been.

"Where to now, Navi?" Link asked.

"Well, you have two keys. You can go to that balcony now," Navi replied. "Or you can go and explore the blocked doorway with those cubes in front of it."

Link ran over to said doorway. He whipped out his Ocarina and played the Song of Time. The noise could be heard throughout the empty Temple, of that he was certain. He watched as the cubes glowed and vanished. Link walked into the new room.

The first thing he noticed was the giant Deku Baba waiting for him. It spotted him when he entered, and it began to drool. It had a blue head with a green stem covered in withering leaves. Large teeth filled its mouth. It leaned forward and tried to bite him. Fortunately, its stem wasn't long enough, causing it to lay flat and wait. Green smoke billowed out of its mouth as it snapped at him.

"Do you even care about your mouth?" Navi asked. "What have you been eating? Weeds?"

"Navi, this really isn't the time for dietary advice…" Link muttered.

"No wonder it wants to eat you. I'd eat you too if all I had to snack on was grass."

Link hesitated. "Navi…what do you actually eat?"

Navi was silent for a moment before replying, "Moving on now…"

"Do I need to offer _you_ some dietary advice?"

Navi floated over to the monster and zipped around its head. She allowed Link to target it, so he ran forward and sliced at it. His sword scraped its mouth, causing it to recoil. It lowered itself again, preparing to strike. A second slash from the Master Sword ended the Deku Baba's breath.

Link observed his surroundings. There was a two-way worn dirt path before him, leading to a bridge on one side, and an ivy-covered wall on the other. Link ignored the bridge, due to the fact that it led to a little island that seemed to serve no purpose except for hold a pillar that supported a balcony above him. Link turned to the ivy wall and glowered at the small Skulltulas crawling all over it. He raised his Hookshot and fired it at the two lower ones, but found that the chain didn't reach the third.

"How do you intend to get that?" Navi asked.

"I'll ignore it." Link leapt onto the wall and began to climb, making sure that he didn't get too close to the Skulltula. He stayed as close as he could to the right half of the ivy, watching the Skulltula carefully. It turned away from him, so he resumed his scaling. He saw it turn even further from him, so he tried to ascend faster.

Unfortunately, the Skulltula had horrible timing. It spun around in Link's direction and saw him growing ever closer to the top. It turned purple with anger and began to charge at him.

"Don't come near me!" Link squeaked, pulling himself into an opening. The Skulltula stopped right behind him before spinning around and returning to its place on the wall. Link turned back to face what was in front of him, satisfied to be safe from the Skulltula. He saw a door, so he opened it and stepped inside.

The door slammed shut behind him. Iron bars slid down, barricading him inside. A flying skull with a bubble of flame encircling its body waited for him. It flapped over to him and Link raised his shield. The creature flew into him and flames sputtered over his shield before disappearing. The skull fell to the ground, wings gone, and began hopping around.

"Okay, what exactly is that thing?" Link asked.

"A Blue Bubble," Navi answered. "As you just witnessed, you need to guard against its blue flame with your shield."

Link made a slightly disappointed expression. He tried to pounce on the skull and crush it with his sword, but it was too fast. He missed it, and it kept hopping around. Surprised, Link chased after it and tried to whack it. He failed again.

"I'm helping you target this thing and you still can't hit it?" Navi asked.

"Would you like to wield the sword?"

"Don't mind if I do."

Link growled his frustration and chased the skull. He stepped on it and it bit him, causing him to wince. He stabbed it with his sword and it continued hopping around. Link pursued it and swiped at it with his blade, slicing it in two. It burned up and disappeared.

The bars on the door slid out of view, and in front of Link, a chest appeared. It was big enough for him to fit in, but it never seemed to carry anything that size. The items he received from these chests were always small.

Link pressed his hands to the chest and forced the lid up. He peered into the chest and a green light glowed in his face. He blinked, trying to ease his eyes, and reached down blindly. His hands grabbed something and he held it up.

"What is it?" Navi asked, fluttering over.

"Paper. I got a map." Link examined the parchment in his hands and made a mental note of the rooms before stuffing it into his inventory. "Continuing…" He turned to face a door with a wind symbol over it, and he dashed inside. A small Deku Baba grew out of the ground before him, opening its ugly mouth and drooling as it saw him. It lunged for him, but he drew his blade and sliced it in two.

Link stood on a balcony far above the room with the water and the bridge. To his right was nothing but open air. However, on his left was a brick wall covered in ivy. A Skulltula crawled on it, so Link sheathed his weapons and pulled out his Hookshot. He fired and watched the Skulltula plummet to the ground far below. Link peered down at it before shuddering at the drop. He looked up and noticed the Hookshot mark on the wall of a neighboring balcony. He shot it and ran forward.

There was no door, but there was a red switch, which he stepped on. A strange sound rose to his ears, like water draining, and he spun around. He squinted at the ground, leaning over the balcony railing. He climbed on top of it for a better look, only to end up losing his footing. He was forced to jump off or fall off, and he chose jumping.

"AAAAH!" he cried. He noticed the water on the ground, so he aimed for it and his head went under. Link clawed his way to the top and coughed, then swam for the ledge, pulling himself up. "Okay," he said, "so I guess I was wrong."

"About what?" Navi asked, shaking off her wet wings.

"I thought this was the same room from earlier, but it's not," Link said. "The bridge isn't here, and there's a well over there that I just drained."

"Well, if you drained the well, you should probably explore it."

Link nodded his agreement and dashed over to the mossy bricks. He didn't take any time to study his new surroundings or fight the monsters after him. Instead, he just ran over to the well and looked into it for a second. He jumped down, plummeting into the foggy depths.

"Aaah!" he yelped.

"Will you please consider the consequences of jumping _before_ you jump?" Navi asked.

Link hit the ground and rolled. "Why? I don't get hurt."

"When you die, I'll mourn you for a second and then assist the other Link with saving the world."

"Love you too, Navi." Link peered down the long corridor of fog. The walls were still made of bricks, as all the walls here seemed to be. To his right, there was still a small amount of water. Iron bars blocked part of the path, but he didn't need to go there. He ran along the path and noticed a recovery heart. Unfortunately, he didn't need it, so he bypassed it and continued running to the end.

Before him, he saw a small wooden chest. Oddly enough, it was already open.

"That's strange," Navi muttered. "Maybe the monsters here have decided to set up puzzles to distract you."

Link laughed nervously. "Maybe it was just money and they didn't want to guard it," he said. He turned to the wall before him, which was covered in ivy, and began to scale it. He climbed out of the depths of the well. He found himself in the other room with water: the one with the bridge. He saw that the Deku Baba had returned, but he figured he may as well leave it. He bypassed it and ran through the door. It slammed shut behind him, and he stood back in the room where the ghosts once were.

"Hey," Navi called. She floated over to the balcony that once had a locked door. "Where's the chain that used to block this? It's gone!"

Link walked over and examined the door. As his fairy companion had said, there was no longer a lock on the door. He studied it, wondering if it were some kind of trap that the monsters had laid for him. He looked around, searching for any signs of danger, but he saw none.

"Where do you suppose Link has gone off to?" Navi asked, landing on Link's shoulder and waiting.

"I hope we'll reunite with him later," Link replied. "I would really hate to have to seek him out here…"

. . . . .

Link hadn't wandered far from his companion, the Hero of Time. In fact, he was only two doors over from his fellow Hero. After chasing the fleeing Poe into the room, Link had been forced to stop and combat a Deku Baba. After he had acquired victory, he fought a strange water monster that he decided to name Rocky because it kept trying to stone him to death.

Then, to Link's dismay, the blue ghost had flown far above his head and disappeared through a wall near a balcony. But the Hero of Twilight wasn't going to let it simply escape. He had examined the room, not willing to turn back and resign himself to failure. He scoured the room for secrets and stumbled upon the well. Equipping the Iron Boots and Zora Armor, Link had jumped in and found a chest with a small key. He was only missing one heart, so he took a recovery heart before removing his boots and swimming back up.

After more searching, he found a chest he wanted but couldn't reach, as well as a gold Skulltula. He shot the arachnid with the Clawshot and acquired the token before continuing back to the room with his missing elevator.

Remembering his endeavors in Arbiter's Grounds, Link requested Midna to transform him into a wolf. He sniffed each torch for the scent of the ghosts, which helped, but he still had trouble finding them due to their sporadic flying behaviors. Annoyed, Link took his key and walked through the locked door to the side of him where he had seen another Poe disappear to. He was unable to travel to the other arched doorway due to the blue cubes in front of it that he had spent several seconds sniffing, so he had the chained room as his only option. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best either.

The door led to a corridor, which had a Skulltula Link threw his Gale Boomerang at to knock off its web. After preforming the Ending Blow, Link continued about his way and entered the next door.

And that's where his somewhat pleasant mood disappeared.

He murdered a flying skull with blue flames encasing it in a bubble and then crawled up a ladder. A door was to his left, and the ladder was before him. The walls, which were the typical bricks he was used to seeing here, jutted out randomly and seemingly uselessly.

Link walked forward, spotting another ladder to his right and a wall before him, so he continued climbing. After that, he was required to turn left twice in order to enter an arched doorway. He was stopped in his tracks by the puzzle that lay before him.

To his left was a block far larger than he was. The wall to his right held nothing promising, but there was a path to his left. He chose to mess with the block first and dragged it over to the wall, deciding to follow the arrow designs on the floor. After pulling the block, he began to push it.

To make his life even more miserable, Midna was getting bored. So she had taken to making terrible jokes and insulting him as she usually did when she was in a bad mood.

"Why did the Cucco cross the road?" she asked.

"I don't know…why?" Link asked, not really paying her much attention. He grunted with the weight of the block and put his entire body into pushing it. It was harder than catching and throwing Ordon Goats and Gorons. He struggled some more.

"Because you beat it up too much, you controlling freak!" Midna said.

Link stopped what he was doing and turned to face her, back pressed against his block because of his exhaustion. "You're the one who wanted me to fight it."

"Yeah well…you're the one who obeyed."

"Because I was enslaved."

"And I released you from your _servitude_ …remember?"

"Only after I attacked the Cucco!"

"Go back to pushing your block, farm-boy."

Link growled a few complaints at her but returned to his struggles. He finally managed to push the block to the wall before he turned and began to explore the only open path: where he had fetched the block from. He found a ladder to his left so he climbed it, deciding that he would return to his heavy work later.

Disappointingly, he really didn't have much of a choice but to do the work now. He found himself faced with two ways to go. He glanced left, decided against it, and turned right instead, only to encounter another block. This one was brown instead of bluish-grey. After looking at the sky and growling his frustration, Link threw himself at the block and forced it forward.

"Having fun?" Midna asked, floating in the air.

"You know…" Link muttered, "…I would just love it if Link walked in here right now and saw you."

"Me too," Midna agreed, yawning. "I would enjoy watching you explain to him what I am…because you know I won't."

"You're infuriating."

"Infuriating enough to leave behind to explore the heavens alone?"

Link stopped. The tone of voice Midna used showed him that she was slightly concerned. She was worried about her fellow Twili. She wanted to go home and kill Zant, but she still knew she couldn't do that alone. If Link got too angry here and told her that he was done being a Hero because he hated the puzzles of past-day Hyrule and they were harder in his time, she would be all alone. She would have to collect the final fragment of the Mirror of Twilight, as well as save her fellow denizens, alone.

Link turned to her, his expression softening. "No. Unfortunately for you, you're stuck with me until Hyrule is safe."

Midna said nothing. Instead, she put her hands behind her back and fell into Link's shadow, disappearing. Link turned back to the block, pushing it forward. It hit a wall and he stopped, turned around, and to the path on the left. He jumped down and spun around. He saw the grey block before him, so he ran down the path he had pulled it from.

Link ran to the right again and saw the other side of the block. He pushed it into place and it dropped into a notch in the ground. Link noted how it was now short enough for him to climb, so he leapt into the air and pulled himself up.

There was nowhere for him to go, except for right, so he turned and pulled himself onto that wall as well, then turned right again. He saw the red block waiting. Making a slight pouting face, Link began pushing the block forward into its place. It too, dropped down into the ground.

Link climbed up the block, knowing that he had already explored the other path. He pulled himself onto the wall before him and found himself at an intersection. He turned right and ran down that path to a ladder, which he climbed up. He turned right again and saw that, at last, he had finally reached the top.

Link stood in a large open room. A door rested in a dip in the floor, an eyeball above it. Two skull monsters flew around before him, making their strange growling, snapping noises. He pulled out the Gale Boomerang and targeted both of them, then threw the Boomerang.

The flames on the skulls sputtered out and both were brought to him. Link preformed the Ending Blow on one and then used the Spin Attack to kill the other, before he turned to the door.

And that's when he noticed the chains that bound the door shut.

Midna giggled and appeared out of Link's shadow. "What now?" she asked. "You know you can't get through the door without a key!"

Link reached into his back pocket and pulled out a bomb, lighting the fuse and throwing it in front of the door. Midna looked surprised but she didn't make any comments. She fell back into Link's shadow, where it was safe.

The bomb exploded, but the door and its lock remained. Link glared at the sky and growled his frustration. "Stupid Hylian doors and their obnoxious locks that magically protect them from ever blowing up from my weak Hylian bombs!" He kicked the door and sat on the ledge that led down to it, glaring.

"You're not going to wait here all day…are you?" Midna asked, not leaving Link's shadow.

"I'm thinking," Link muttered. He was silent for a while before finally admitting, "I need a key…"

"I think you're right…" a voice called from behind him.

Link shot to his feet and whirled around to see the Hero of Time and Navi behind him. His eyes widened. Had they just climbed up the stairs? Or had they waited silently behind him for a while? Had they heard Midna?

"…and, fortunately for you, I just so happen to have two keys," the Hero of Time finished. He held up the two metal keys and grinned. "You didn't think I was going to let you arrive to the party first, did you?"

Link snorted a laugh. "You already missed the party. I earned a bite to the chest, a rock to the face, and another rock to the knee. I chased a Poe for a bit, then dropped into a well and fetched a key."

"Yeah, we were wondering who hid the empty chest," Navi said. "So you pushed those blocks?"

"They weighed a lot," Link replied. "My back aches."

The Hero of Time chuckled. "Better you than me. By the way, Navi says that if I die, she's gonna accompany you to save Hyrule…"

"Wise choice," Link said. "But before we save the world, I'm robbing your grave of your bottles and your Hookshot."

The Hero of Time raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Very well then. If _you_ die, then I'm robbing your grave of every item you ever found."

"No," Link replied. "I'll come back as a Stalfos and save Hyrule that way. Besides, even if you do try to rob my grave, I'll haunt you if you take more than five things."

The Hero of Time chuckled. "Then, when I join you in death, I'll make sure your life is miserable!"

"You honestly believe you'll be capable of out-ghosting me?"

"I can out-ghost you any day!"

"Boys!" Navi sighed. "Open the door already! I'm getting tired of flying…" She glided over to the Hero of Time's shoulder and disappeared.

The two Links regarded each other before the Hero of Time shrugged and turned to the door. He threw his key in the lock and opened it. He turned to Link. "You coming?"

Link shook his head. "I'm going to wait here for a moment…regain my missing energy. Then I'll follow."

The Hero of Time shrugged again and walked through the door, disappearing.

Link sat back down, closed his eyes, and began to count the seconds. He was going to give his companion five minutes before he joined him. Until then, he would stay behind and catch his breath.

"Is that really the only reason you stayed?" Midna asked. She appeared out of Link's shadow and joined him on the ground.

Link opened his eyes and replied, "No." He looked up at the eyeball symbol on the wall and said, "I want to shoot that…but I don't know what will happen as a result and I don't want him to be in the next room in case something goes wrong."

"Noble," Midna said.

Link finished counting a few moments later and stood up. He drew his bow and fired at the eye symbol. Its eyelid slammed shut over it, and he heard a strange noise come from the hall before him. He tensed.

"No," he whispered, fearing for the safety of his companion. He opened the door and dashed inside, running through the perfectly straight corridor. It had a path of red carpet, and red covered the base of the walls everywhere but the stone pillars. He disregarded this and dashed straight through, hoping five minutes had been enough time for the Hero of Time to pass through the room.

Midna rose out of Link's shadow before he could enter the second part of the room, halting him. She pointed to the sky and said, "Do you not see the monsters that hang from the ceiling? I bet that they'll fall on you if you stand beneath them."

Link glanced up, but all he saw was darkness. He nodded to Midna, who fell back into his shadow and disappeared. He ran forward and leapt onto a platform. A strange noise rose to his ears, causing him to halt. He looked up first, seeing nothing but blackness. He looked down and examined his shadow. Midna never made a change to the appearance of his human shadow. She only altered his wolf shadow. So why was it different now?

Link leapt back and landed on the floor as a monster slammed into the spot he had just stood on. He glared at it, no longer on the tall platform. It shot back into the air, but he had seen it: he knew what he needed to identify.

It was a dark grey color and it each knuckle overlapped the last the closer they were to the hand. Long, claw-like nails curled off its gnarled fingers. It appeared as if some of its bones were sticking out of it.

It was a hand: a giant hand severed at the wrist that could most certainly pick Link up and carry him off. He drew his weapons and watched it disappear back into the shadows of the roof far above. He couldn't see it on the ceiling, so he stared down at his own shadow and watched as it grew larger.

At the last moment, his shadow far too strange for him to tolerate, Link leapt to the side and watched the hand slam into the floor.

"Hah!" he declared as he thrust his shield into it and leapt on top of it, slicing through the veins on the top of it. He landed on the other side and the monster burst into flames. He sheathed his blade and turned to face its remains. He noted a cluster of rupees on the ground, so he picked them up and put them in his wallet before turning to examine his surroundings.

There was a chest to his right and a hole in the floor right in front of him. If he looked at the wall, he could see a door in it. Other parts of the wall stuck out awkwardly, as if they should have been platforms. Link wasn't sure what to make of them, so he turned to the chest instead.

It was fairly elaborate, unlike the regular wooden chests he was used to seeing. Even the big key chests he saw in present-day Hyrule weren't as intricate. It was royal blue in color, and braced with gold. More gold covered it in multitudes of precise patterns, so the surface seemed more gold than blue. A keyhole was in the center of it, so Link feared that he might need to reunite with his companion and borrow a key from him. However, he placed his hands on the chest and threw it open, relieved to find it unlocked.

Link peered into the chest, gold light streaming out to greet his eyes. He blinked and reached down as the light dimmed, pulling out a key. It was made of solid gold, and a red jewel gleamed in the middle of the thicker section. Horns curled off the sides, also constructed of gold. Besides that, however, it looked no different than the metal keys that Link had already found here.

"It looks like a boss key," Midna noted, appearing before him. "Maybe now you can get into the chamber where the boss lurks…"

Link nodded his assent and turned to the hole in the floor. He peered into it, considering whether or not he wanted to jump. He could see another room not too far below, so he leapt down. He hit the ground and rolled, only to find that he had company.

Two blue-flamed skulls floated around. They spotted Link simultaneously, and Link drew his weapons. He glared at them, reached into his pouch, and threw the Gale Boomerang at them. It extinguished the fire of the skulls and brought them to Link, who performed the Ending Blow on one. The skull burst into flames which sputtered out. He then spun in a circle and knocked the other into a wall, where it promptly broke apart.

To his left, up some stairs, bars slid into the wall above a door, allowing him access out of this new room. He ran over to them and exited. He found himself standing in front of a wall with moss-covered bricks. To his right was another wall, but on his left was a simple path. There were no rails to block him from the imminent death that would await him if he leapt off, but that was alright because he didn't feel like jumping.

Link ran along the small path and found himself facing a Deku Baba. He drew his weapons and glared at it, brandishing his sword. It was one of the larger ones, and it leaned forward to eat him, but he stepped back and sliced his sword vertically twice, horizontally once, and then put both hands on his sword and dragged it up, killing the monster instantly.

He continued down the path past a dent in the wall that looked like it led somewhere but didn't. He stopped at the next dent and saw a door in it. There was also a door right in front of him, so he turned right first and walked inside. It closed and locked behind him.

There was another severed hand waiting for him. Link noticed it right away and targeted it. He charged for it and leapt into the air, splitting it apart with the Jump Attack. The problem was that it shattered into three little hands that all decided to attack him at once. He hadn't been expecting it to split, so when it did, he had to quickly shake off his surprise and fight them. One slammed into his shield, green and levitating. The second went for his foot, so he shot back and ended its life with a stab downwards. He whirled around to face the third, but was too slow to react to it.

The tiny little hand turned green and shot forward, grabbing Link by his shirt collar and holding him there. Its long fingernails pierced through his tunic and avoided his chainmail with ease, fingers sliding through the rings. Immediately, it cracked one of his Heart Containers. He heard the distinctive noise of glass splitting and felt some of his energy drain away as the Container turned black. He tried to throw it off of him, but something held him there…a force he had never been subjected to before. It was worse than being electrocuted in the Lakebed Temple. This feeling seemed to spread through his entire being and tamper with whatever components he was comprised of.

Link sunk to his knees, unable to breathe. What was happening?

The edges of his vision began to dim. He glared down at the hand, trying to will himself to move and throw it off.

He didn't have to. He heard Midna, with her intricate voice, yell something he would only decipher later as being, "You let him go, vermin!" Link felt the hand forcefully detach from him, and he hit the ground. None of his other Heart Containers had cracked, yet he felt terrible. Another hand—this one much larger than the others and orange in color—slammed into the ground and crushed one of the little hands.

"Get up, Link!"

Link coughed and put his hand to the ground, then pushed himself off it. He rolled to his feet and stood up, quickly preforming a Spin Attack and destroying another hand. He noticed Midna combating the "vermin" that she had pulled off him, but it was much larger now, as if it had stolen his life to restore its own. That annoyed Link, so he finished off another little hand and joined Midna with her fight.

She was actually toying with the hand. Her hair-hand was far larger than it was, and she was demonstrating that she was the boss. She flicked it, then snatched it out of the air and slammed it into the floor, where she promptly crushed it and then picked it up and threw it at the ceiling. It exploded into three, which Link destroyed with his Spin Attack.

The bars on the door slid open and a chest materialized. Link kicked open the chest and brought out the metal key, which he slipped into his pouch. Disappointed at his skills, he turned to Midna and said, "Well, that was humiliating."

She regarded him carefully. She returned her hair-hand to its original shape and floated closer to him, glaring into his eyes. Link stepped back, wondering if she was asking herself why she bothered associating with a weak Hylian. After a moment, she finally asked, "What did it do to you?"

Link gave her a confused stare. He hadn't been expecting that. He thought she was going to complain at him.

"I…I'm really not sure," he began. "It felt like it was trying to destroy my entire existence, rather than just my life."

Midna looked up at the ceiling. "I didn't let it hurt me, so I wouldn't know. Perhaps when we reunite with the other Link, you can ask him what he thinks about that monster."

Link nodded, then turned to face the door. "Midna…? I'm sorry." He began to walk forward, but she stopped him.

"I chose you for a reason," she said. "No matter how bad of a day you have, if you're still alive, you are required to help me and save Hyrule." With those words, she put her hands behind her back and fell into the ground, residing in his shadow. Link looked back to the door and walked out. It wasn't as if he was weak. Whatever that monster had done to him, he didn't like it. He wasn't going to let that sort of thing happen again.

He walked out of the room and entered the somewhat fresh Temple air, glaring at the outside world. He turned to the other door and walked through, finding himself back in the room where he had reencountered the Hero of Time. He looked forward.

 _I wonder where Link has disappeared off to…_

. . . . .


	9. Demon Ghost Sisters

**A/N: I do not own The Legend of Zelda or Nintendo. Also, there's a little question I have for you in the second A/N here. Sorry...it's a little long.  
**

 **Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Eight

Demon Ghost Sisters

Link was having his own party, and the Hero of Twilight was unfortunately not there to endure it with him. The moment he had entered the room, he regretted his life decisions. He had walked inside the corridor only to learn that it was all twisted. As such, gravity became extremely skewed and he was forced to run at a strange angle to keep from falling over.

After leaving the corridor, he had almost been snatched up by a monster known as a Wallmaster. He killed it immediately after it tried to crush him, but he was very wary of the ceiling after the encounter. He had jumped down to explore the room but learned that he hated it and had climbed back up to the platform he was supposed to be on. He glared at the chest on the wall for all of twenty seconds before turning and continuing on his way.

Link was then forced to use his only spare key. He watched the lock vanish before he opened the door and jogged through. He was met with the scenery of some gorgeous stairs covered in ivy and moss. The walls were also covered. He had run down the stairs, suspicious of the black paintings he was seeing. Then, he found himself standing in front of a painting with a ghost inside of it. He tried to get near it, but it vanished. He then spent several useless moments chasing it around the room, from painting to painting.

After that tiresome adventure, Link walked through the next door. That was when he decided that he loathed Stalfos. He had to fight one in an arena with the floor missing in the center of the room. After killing it, the floor fell into place and two more came out to greet him. Link murdered one but then messed up and didn't kill the second one fast enough, causing the first to reform.

Now, he stood in the center of the room, exhausted but still not allowed to give up. He glared at the pile of bones to his left, then at the Stalfos circling him. He had maybe twelve seconds to murder it before it resurrected its friend, and he was waiting for it to drop its guard.

It grunted at him, its bones making clacking noises as it shifted on its feet. Link scowled as it took a step towards him and raised its blade. The Hero of Time shot back as the monster's sword slammed into the ground where he once stood. He leapt forward and brought down the Master Sword, causing the monster to stagger back and jump at him. Its blade crashed into his shield, the metal clanging in response. Link slashed at it again, his own weapon ricocheting harmlessly off the tough metal.

Link whirled around to face the Stalfos and watched with disappointment as its friend reformed and began circling. He glared at the ceiling, growling his frustration, then turned back to the Stalfos he had been trying to kill. He pointed his sword at it and snarled, "I'll murder you later…"

He spun around and faced the now-living Stalfos and tried replicating what he had seen the Hero of Twilight do. He thrust his shield forward, stunning the Stalfos. After that, his mind went blank. How had the other Hero even managed to launch himself so high in the air? How was he supposed to slice this thing's skull if he couldn't get up there?

Link stabbed it in its hollow gut and then spun around, blue energy gracing his sword. For reasons unknown, the Stalfos was harmed by the attack to its empty stomach, and it glared at him. It leapt into the air and tried to smack him in the head. Link ducked and raised his shield above his head, then spun around and jumped and caught the Stalfos's heel.

"Hey!" Navi called.

"What?" Link asked, raising his shield and deflecting another Stalfos leaping at him.

"That move…doesn't it remind you of Link's technique?"

Link hesitated, which almost made him lose his arm. He stepped back and said, "What of the ability?"

"He said he learned it from a 'knight of Hyrule' that 'resembled a Stalfos'. Do you think he was lying and actually just mimicked a Stalfos?"

"Navi! Fight now, speculate later!" Link ducked again and stabbed his sword into the Stalfos's spine, causing it to explode into various bones and crumple to the ground. Link whirled around to the Stalfos that he had failed to kill earlier. He thrust his shield forward, trying to replicate the Hero of Twilight's technique. He leapt into the air, kicking off the ground with as much force as he could muster. He soared through the air for a moment, stabbing his blade down and landing on the other side of the Stalfos, performing a Spin Attack.

The monster cried out and also broke apart, defeated. The bones on the ground burned up instantly, and the bars over the door slid up and vanished. A large chest materialized on the ground, which Link raced over to and threw open, not willing to spend much more time in this forsaken place. He reached down into the chest, blinded by its glow.

 _If it's a compass, I'll be pretty annoyed,_ he thought, grabbing the object. He pulled it out and studied it. Excitement flashed across his face and he held it the air. _I found a bow! I found the Fairy Bow!_ He turned back to the door he had come from and ran towards it, ready to get the ghost in the painting.

"Link, who do you suppose that other Link really is?" Navi asked.

Link opened the door, then halted. He gave his fairy a confused look. "A Hylian?"

"He's hiding something, Link! He has to be!" Navi said, bouncing up and down.

"Well, he hasn't done anything to demonstrate that he's against us. I believe that he really does want to save Hyrule. Perhaps he just has a different method…"

Navi huffed and landed on Link's shoulder, then disappeared.

"What?" Link asked. "What is it, Navi?"

She was silent.

"Navi?"

"Go fight your Poe sister!"

Link sighed and ran forward. He dashed up the stairs and sighted down the arrow of his bow, aiming for the highest painting where he could see the red ghost sister waiting. He fired the arrow, watching it slam into the portrait. The ghost laughed at him and reappeared in the bottom painting. The one she had once been inside burned up immediately, leaving her only two spots to reside. Link nocked another arrow and fired at the new painting, which also burned up. He turned around to see the Poe waiting behind him, unable to escape now that its only two options had went up in flames.

Link smiled. "Nowhere to flee, huh?" He pulled back the bowstring and released, shooting the final arrow into the portrait. The Poe giggled and materialized before him before floating past. Link chased after it, back to the door he had entered from. It waited for him, wielding its torch with the red flame blazing atop it.

"Navi," Link called, nocking another arrow and drawing his bowstring.

Navi fluttered out of hiding and raced over to the Poe, targeting her for Link. "Joelle – one of the Poe sisters. Aim for her when she appears!"

Link let his arrow fly. It slammed into Joelle and knocked her into a wall. She laughed at him and turned invisible. Navi still held his target for him, so he knew where she was. He released another arrow, but it harmlessly flew into the wall and disappeared a few seconds later.

Joelle reappeared, so Link fired another arrow at her. She vanished again.

"Really?" Link asked. "Either come here and fight me like a monster or don't fight me at all!"

Joelle stayed invisible. Link continued waiting.

It took four more arrows to end the Poe sister, but she went out in a literal flame of glory. She blazed red-orange, like her torch, before she was extinguished. Her torch shattered, and its flame sputtered out before reassembling on top of the gold pedestal beside the door. A small chest also appeared, which Link kicked open. He pulled out a Small Key. Deciding that his mission was accomplished, he walked through the door and continued on his way.

He ran past the room where he fought the Stalfos and into the next door, where he found himself in a similar room to the one where he had just finished defeating Joelle. He looked around, wondering if he had accidentally run the wrong direction…if that were even possible since he had run in a straight line the opposite direction.

The torch to Link's left was unlit, and the stairs were on the right instead of the left, which relieved him. He was not in the same room. He ran up the stairs and spotted a blue Poe inside the painting at the top of the second flight of stairs. He drew his bow from his inventory and launched an arrow at the painting, causing it to burst into blue flames. The Poe appeared at behind him, then immediately fled to the painting at the bottom of the stairs. Link spun around and shot that too, then destroyed the third.

The blue Poe sister laughed that horrible Poe laugh and floated right through the stairs to the bottom section of the room. Link pursued her, bow ready.

After loosing a few more arrows, the blue Poe sister, who was apparently named Beth, also departed in a flame of glory. Another chest materialized, but this one was large. Link ran over to it and threw open the lid, then retrieved the compass. He turned and faced the stairs, then dashed up them to the top of the room.

He found a locked door, but he had the key, so he wasn't concerned. He used the key and walked into the new room.

To his dismay, it was similar to the one he had entered via the twisted corridor. He glowered suspiciously at the ceiling, then took a tentative step forward.

"Watch for the shadows of monsters that hang from the ceiling," Navi said, appearing before him.

Link flinched and then nodded. He took a running leap and landed on the ground far below. He waited, watching the ground closely.

 _There,_ he thought as his shadow became larger and more hand-shaped. He ran around in circles for a moment, refusing to be touched by the ugly Wallmaster. It slammed into the ground behind him and he slashed at it. It recoiled and made a strange noise that Link guessed was a yelp. He stabbed it with his sword and it burned up, leaving behind two red rupees. Link picked them up and stuffed them into his wallet, which was almost completely full. He could only hold four more rupees, and he was certain he was going to stumble across more chests elsewhere.

Link studied his surroundings now that he was alone. Before him was a platform with a ladder that he was certain he needed to climb. To his left was a tall set of stairs he would also need to ascend, but later.

"Hey," Navi called. "I know you really don't want to be suspicious of Link, but didn't he say he would reunite with you after around five minutes?"

Link hesitated. "Yes, Navi, but…"

"Link…you're too trusting. What if he abandoned you here?"

Link couldn't respond to that. He really hoped against such a thing. He wanted a human companion on his journey. Navi just didn't cut it. If the Hero of Twilight was truly not going to assist him, then Link would be disappointed. He would still continue his journey, but it would be more pleasant with someone he could joke around with and use to lighten his mood.

Link grabbed hold of the ladder and began climbing, still not answering Navi's question. He pulled himself to the top and saw another corridor, but this one was straight. He spotted two skulls with batwings sprouting from their temples that were waiting for him. They were similar to the Blue Bubbles, but their flames blazed green, so they were probably the long-lost cousins of the evil Bubble clan.

Before him, one of them ceased to burn, so Link approached it and stabbed it, causing it to die instantly. It didn't even put up a fight against him. He turned to its companion, which was still blazing. He ran over to it and waited, wondering if it was going to give up as well.

All the Bubble did was fly in an odd vertical circle, like a sort of useless barrier. It made a noise at Link, but then extinguished its flame. Link stabbed it too and ran over to the door at the end of the hall, where he was forced to stop. He stared at it, confused.

"No," he whispered. He reached into his pouch but he didn't find anything to assist him. Chains covered the wood, but he lacked the key to unlock them. He grabbed hold of the lock and examined it. Surely this shouldn't be here…right? Was he supposed to turn back and find where he might have left the small key?

"Hey!" Navi called.

"What?" Link asked.

"You need a key to open this door!"

Link groaned and banged his head against the lock. "Thanks, Navi. I'm not blind, you know."

"Well, if you still trust that other Link just because you share the same name and think you're both Heroes, then yes; yes you are."

"Well, for the record, I trust him because he and I _are_ both Heroes," a voice called.

Link whirled around to see the Hero of Twilight standing at the opposite end of the corridor, arms folded. He was scowling, but the moment Link saw him, he grinned and held up a small metal key.

"Need a little help?" he asked playfully.

"Where have you been?!" Navi demanded.

"Well, I gave a corridor a little twist to restore its shape and then was attacked and spent a little while trying to find you after my detour," the Hero of Twilight replied without missing a beat.

"Do have any idea the ordeals Link had to go through because you were exploring?" Navi asked, flying over to the Hero of Twilight's face and getting close enough to argue with him.

"No," the Hylian Hero replied, holding out his hand to prevent her from getting any closer to his face. "However, if you think he is the only one who suffered, I had to fight a severed hand."

"A Wallmaster? Hah!" Navi spat. "Link already fought two of those!"

"I suppose that was the monster that hung from the ceiling and tried to snatch me. No, while I did fight one of those, I also combatted one on the ground, which split into three when defeated. It glowed green and grabbed me by the front, and then refused to release me."

"Ooh, scary," Navi mocked.

The Hero of Twilight jabbed a finger at her and said, "I understand that you don't trust me, fairy girl, but you listen here for a moment; I am not saving Hyrule for fame, glory, fortune, or any sort of selfish gain other than to have my friends returned. I am saving Hyrule because Hyrule is in a desperate state of need. There are no personal benefits that I require to offer my assistance. I intend to save this world because it needs me, and it needs your friend Link as well. If you believe me to be an awful person, that's fine. However, if you are a hindrance in my quest to save this world, then I have no choice but to demonstrate what I am capable of."

"Speaking of capabilities, why don't you tell us the identity of the Stalfos that taught you your attack?" Navi snarled. "Link almost got his head split open because of that move, and we know you learned it from them. So why would you hide that from us if you really are on our side?"

"I was taught by a Hyrulian Knight who was slain in battle. Perhaps you may want to ask _him_ where he learned the technique. Maybe he had it used against him and then perfected it. I'm not entirely sure, but I was not lying when I explained where I learned it from."

"What about that sword? There _cannot_ be two Master Swords! There is no possible way!"

"Navi!" Link interjected. He'd had enough. He held out his hand, and his fairy reluctantly flew over to it. She landed on it and glared at the Hero of Twilight, still enraged by his presence.

"I refuse to turn back and surrender the fate of the world to Link alone simply because you don't like me," the Hero of Twilight announced. He walked over to the door and slid the key into the chains, then turned it. It responded to the lock and vanished with it, leaving no trace of either. The Hero of Twilight walked inside, then turned and waited for Link.

Link followed him, unsure of what to do.

The two Heroes found themselves in a room with four platforms rotating around a fifth, immobile platform. The ground had sharpened stalagmites rising out of it, so it would hurt if either of them missed their jump and fell. Red liquid slowly swirled beneath the platforms, looking as dangerous as the spikes. To the right side of the room was an eye switch that needed to be shot, but it was frozen inside a block of ice.

"I suppose we need to melt that," Link said, understanding that the eye needed to be shot. He took note of the torch blazing on the immobile platform and jumped over to it, using the other platforms for assistance.

"Wait," the Hero of Twilight called. He leapt onto one moving platform and then rode it over to the wall with the ice switch. "This will be faster." He reached into his inventory and pulled out a polished steel ball with a chain affixed to it.

"Where did you get _that_?!" Link asked, almost tripping over himself in surprise.

"A monster tossed it at my head," the Hero of Twilight replied, beginning to spin it by the chain. He threw it forward and it slammed into the ice, shattering it with a single throw. The ball landed beside him and he pulled on the chain, causing it to fly back into his hands and slightly knock him back with the force. He put away the ball and called, "Now shoot." He jumped onto a moving platform and waited for it to bring him back to the door.

Link drew his bow, still surprised that his companion held such powerful weapons. He had intended to jump over to it and use Din's Fire, but he had been spared of using magic. He nocked an arrow and drew his bowstring.

The Hero of Twilight leapt onto the platform connected to the door and waited.

Link released the arrow and watched it slam into the eye, causing the eyelid to slide closed. He turned to the rotating platforms, listening to the sound of something happen in the corridor. He leapt forward on one, then jumped to where the Hero of Twilight stood.

The Hero of Twilight opened the door and ran through, accompanied by Link. The Hero of Time stopped in his tracks, stunned to see the corridor all twisted. The other Hero kept running, as if this were a normal occurrence, and made it to the other end of the hall. He spun around, surprised to see Link still at the other door.

"You coming?" he called.

Link took a moment to regain himself. "Yes," he replied, then began running. Perhaps the Hero of Twilight had already twisted the other corridor and now understood that that was how some puzzles needed to be solved. Was that what he had meant when he said he "gave the corridor a little twist"?

Link joined him at the opposite end of the hall. The Hero of Twilight politely allowed him to go first, then followed him as he jumped down. Link spotted a hole in the floor and glanced at the stairs but disregarded them and immediately jumped down the hole. He hit the ground and rolled, noticing that he now stood on checkered tile floors. The Hero of Twilight joined him and then walked towards the door at the far end of the room.

He stopped in his tracks and glanced up, then jumped back as the ceiling fell and slammed into the floor. The other Hero blinked in surprise, then took note of the holes in the ceiling. He watched it rise back into the air before sprinting towards a switch on the ground and waiting.

Link began to follow him, also taking into consideration the pain of being crushed into nothingness if he stood on the wrong checkered tile. He found a safe spot and watched the Hero of Twilight flee over to a treasure chest. He hesitated there and turned to see Link. "Do you want this?" he yelled.

"Get it for me!" Link called back, running to where the Hero of Twilight once stood.

The Hero of Twilight kicked open the chest and pulled out a bundle of arrows. He held them up for Link to see, as if asking, _Still want them?_

"Save them for me!" Link declared.

The Hero of Twilight nodded his understanding as the ceiling rejoined the floor.

"Whoever designed this place was mentally disturbed," he said, turning to face the door. He ran forward and opened it, disappearing on the other side.

Link ran over to the open chest as the ceiling shuddered and fell back to the ground. He waited for it to rise before he ran over to the door. He opened it to see the Hero of Twilight pushing cubes that were slightly smaller than he was. He noticed Link walk in so he said, "Care to help me finish this puzzle?"

Link understood immediately what needed to be done. He raced over to a cube and began to push it towards the one that the Hero of Twilight was also heading for. He pushed his block into the other Link's and they both went back for the fourth. The Hero of Twilight hesitated and allowed Link to grab the cube. He pointed at the blue one in the way and said, "I'll move that. You push this."

Link nodded and began to push the cube over to the others, trying to match the pattern on them and assemble the third Poe sister, the green one. A blue block had been added to the mix to confuse them, but apparently the Poe wasn't very intelligent if it believed that they would be stopped by the other block.

The Hero of Twilight pushed the fourth green block into place, causing the green Poe sister to appear. The portrait on the wall burst into flames and vanished, and the blocks sank into the ground. The Poe brandished its torch and aimed at them. The other Hero pulled out his bow, as did Link.

"Amy – one of the Poe sisters," Navi announced as she flew over to the green Poe and targeted her for Link. "Aim for her when she appears!"

"Your fairy tells you what these things are?" the Hero of Twilight asked, releasing his arrow.

Link released his own, causing both to hit Amy simultaneously. "Yes. She also targets them for me," he replied.

"I wish you did that," the Hero of Twilight said, glancing down at his shadow as Amy disappeared.

Link fired his arrow unintentionally. He looked to the other Hero. "Who are you talking to?" he asked.

The Hero of Twilight laughed and said, "Maybe one day you'll figure it out. For your sake, I hope you don't."

"What kind of secrets are you hiding in your shadow?" Link asked, now bewildered.

The Hero of Twilight released his arrow and watched it successfully slam into Amy, who disappeared again. He said nothing as he nocked another arrow.

Link sighed and nocked his own. He drew back his bowstring and waited.

Amy reappeared.

Both Links released their arrows, which pierced her and caused her to vanish again. After a few seconds of silence, she reappeared to combat them, only to be slammed back into the wall and burst into bright green flames. The fire materialized on the torch near the door, and both Links turned and walked over to it.

Navi landed on Link's head and then jumped down on his shoulder, where she promptly disappeared. Both Links entered the door and found themselves in another corridor, but this one was simple. A Skulltula hung from its web in the center of the hall. Link pulled out the Hookshot and fired it at the monster, slaying it with a single shot. The two continued on their way down the hall.

They exited their door and found themselves standing on a balcony, back in the room where they first encountered the Poe sisters. Link peered over the railing and pointed.

"Look, there's the final Poe!" he said.

The Hero of Twilight approached the rails and took note of the height. He jumped off the railing and landed on the ground below, rolling. He turned and waited for Link to join him.

Link leapt over the rails as well and landed beside his Hylian companion. The two nodded their acknowledgement of each other and then walked together over to the final Poe, the purple one.

The Poe watched them approach and waited until they got close before it launched into the air, wielding its torch. It body began to shimmer before them, seemingly splitting in four and remerging.

The Hero of Twilight pulled out his bow and waited, arrow nocked. Link copied his example as the Poe split into four fragments and encircled the two Heroes. The two went back-to-back, bows at the ready, glowering at the evil spirit.

Navi flew over to the fragment directly in front of Link. "Meg – one of the Poe sisters. If she splits into multiple images, you need to figure out which one is the real one. Is it this one?"

Link fired his arrow directly ahead of him, causing the Hero of Twilight to do the same. The image Link struck cried out and caused the other three to vanish, as well as itself. When they reappeared, the one directly in front of the Hero of Twilight spun in a circle, while the others simply floated around, so he fired at it. The images vanished again and the Heroes waited.

They reappeared again and the one to the Hero of Twilight's left rotated. Link fired at it and watched as the copies vanished.

It took a total of five shots to end the life of Meg the purple Poe. However, she went out in a gorgeous purple burst of fire, and her flame materialized on top of the final, unlit torch. The floor beneath the two Heroes trembled. They looked down at the same time as the rectangle rose back out of the ground, ready for them to use. However, they were standing on the top of it, which wasn't very effective.

The two Links looked at each other, their eyes asking the same question: _Are you jumping off first or am I?_

Link leapt off the top and rolled into the wall unintentionally. The Hero of Twilight also sprung off and rolled, but he ended up outside the small concrete barriers. He spun around and ran over to the rectangle and stepped inside, joined by Link immediately.

The lift began to go down into the floor, sealing the two Heroes inside the rectangle, which was incredibly cramped.

"Fatties," Navi complained as the two Links squirmed and tried not to touch the walls, choosing instead to press against each other and stare daggers at one another.

"You're the one who rides around on my shoulder all day and _I'm_ the one who's overweight?" Link grumbled at Navi, pushing the Hero of Twilight back.

The Hero of Twilight shifted, trying not to come into contact with Link or the walls.

The lift approached the ground, no longer fenced in. Link grinned evilly and pushed the Hero of Twilight out.

"Sorry Link," he called.

The Hero of Twilight wasn't going down so easily. In a split second, he whirled around and seized Link by the front of his tunic and tore him out as well. The two collapsed on the ground. The Hero of Twilight detangled himself from Link and crawled away before standing up and dusting himself off.

Link stood up as well.

 _I was not expecting that,_ he thought. He took in his new surroundings and noticed that the floor he stood on was made of blue carpet. He turned, only to see another blue carpet directly opposite him. To his left and right, red carpet was spread out, as well as a hexagon-shape beneath the lift, but the rest of the floor was white. Confused, Link walked around the room.

"What's up with these walls that randomly jut out?" the Hero of Twilight asked, voicing the inquiry Link had been mentally contemplating. He stood in front of the bars of the blue carpet path, glaring at the walls overlapping the red carpet. He seemed to consider something for a moment before grinning. He charged towards one of the walls and slammed into it, then began to push.

"Hnnngh," he grunted, walking forward.

Link turned around to face the opening in the wall before him, ignoring his fellow Hero in order to see if there was anything he could do. The path was also barred. He could see a switch on the floor, but there was no way to access it.

Link took a bewildered step back as the opening in the wall began to move, sliding over to the white section of the floor.

"Haha!" the Hero of Twilight cheered. He sprinted over to the hole in the wall before Link could even respond, then slid to a halt.

Link walked over and saw the exact same thing he did.

"A switch," the Hero of Twilight noted. "Suspicious…"

Link nodded. "Well, you moved the wall, you press the switch."

The Hero of Twilight reluctantly approached the golden button on the floor, then glanced back at Link. "What if it seals me inside?"

"Then I'll help you out."

The Hylian Hero walked over and jumped on top of the switch, causing it to shift beneath him, then slide into the floor.

From somewhere in the room, bars slid up. Both Links ran back to the center of the room, beside the lift, and looked around.

"We need to move the walls again," Link said, noting that the other white section of the floor was empty.

The Hero of Time pointed at him. "Your turn."

Link groaned and walked over to the wall, then placed his hands on it and pushed it forward. "Good Hyrule, that's heavy!"

The wall moved forward, and Link walked over to the red carpet, where the opening had now moved. Another switch waited, so he stepped on it. The sound of bars rising could be heard, so Link walked over to the other red carpet entrance, only to find it empty. He turned to the Hero of Twilight, who was pushing the wall off the blue carpet.

The wall moved over to the white section of the floor, opening a path to a large Skulltula. Link approached it and shot it down with his Hookshot for the Hero of Twilight. A treasure chest waited, which the Hylian Hero opened as Link shot down a gold Skulltula.

"Arrows," the Hero of Twilight declared, handing them to Link and walking out.

Link retrieved the gold token and joined his companion outside the small room. He pushed the wall forward, and the Hero of Twilight walked into the blue-carpeted room, which now had no more bars blocking it. He stepped on the switch, then walked out and pointed to the opposing blue-carpet room.

"It's open," he declared, which caused Link to turn around and reach the same conclusion. They walked into the entrance and noticed the door before them, chained shut by a gold skull-shaped lock. The two Heroes exchanged glances.

"What now?" Link asked.

The Hero of Twilight pulled out the boss key, unlocked the door, and watched the chains disappear. "Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," Link affirmed.

Together, the two entered the boss room.

 **A/N: Aren't I so evil...splitting this one dungeon into three pieces? Hehehehehehe... Also, I can guess we all like Zelda here...or you wouldn't have made it this far, so...how about this? I'm still at the beginning of this story, which makes it pretty convenient for me. If you guys have any ideas of little fragments or ideas you want these two Links to do (like some sort of random scene that could unfold...nothing _too_ major because I already have the entire idea for the plot), you could tell me, and I'll see about including them. So...example: one of you wants Ocarina of Time Link to make a comment for seeing Wolf Link for the first time, if I think that it's good, I'll include it. If there was some sort of situation you wanted, and I like it too, I'll include it and write a little thank you in the first A/N. If y'all don't like that idea and want me to continue writing as I want, I'll do that. I'm just sayin'...ideas are welcome.  
**


	10. Evil Spirit from Beyond

**A/N: I do not own The Legend of Zelda or Nintendo. Also, thank you to the guest who recently reviewed this. I'll try to do that for you...because I think that'll be great. XD**

 **Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Nine

Evil Spirit from Beyond

Link wasn't sure what to expect from the room. He was prepared for monsters: he was fully equipped, and he had a companion who was also fully equipped. He was ready for a boss to challenge him. He was even expecting some sort of extreme challenge, like boulders to rain from the sky.

He was not expecting stairs. He was greeted by a wall, with a fence of bars to his left. On his right, the path rose up and curled around the raised section of the floor before him. Deciding that right was their only way to go, both Links ascended the stairs. They found another fence of bars preventing them from falling off the raised floor, with the only opening in the bars existing behind them.

A fading Triforce design was painted on the center of the floor, a compass-like pattern of white surrounding it, with more gold triangles forming the compass points. Surrounding them was a circle of Hylian, reading a message Link wasn't too focused on.

He walked into the center of the room, accompanied by the Hero of Twilight. He looked around, studying the several paintings that hung from the walls, each displaying the same image: a grey path leading to a castle, with several barren grey trees bordering the path.

"I think the artist wasn't having any creative bursts," the Hero of Twilight muttered, walking over to the bars and leaning over them to see the painting more closely.

Link turned in a circle. This was all wrong. Saria was supposed to be here, somewhere in this temple, and he had searched the entire building…except for some sections scoured by his Hylian companion. At the very least, there should have been a monster of sorts guarding Saria here, yet there was nothing but empty paintings.

"Saria!" Link called, causing the Hero of Twilight to turn and look at him. "Saria!" Link walked around the room, then stood in the center of the floor again. He gazed at the paintings. Was she inside one of them?

"Maybe this room is a distraction?" Navi suggested.

"Bosses don't force Heroes to find the Big Key, only to lead them to the wrong room with it; they're not smart enough," the Hero of Twilight muttered.

"Alright then, Mr. Important Hero," Navi began, "why don't _you_ wait here for the boss to show up. Link and I are going to continue exploring where you've searched so we can find Saria."

"You think I'm hiding her?" the Hero of Twilight asked. "Very well then, go ahead. Be careful: the severed ground hand is very vicious."

"We aren't afraid," Navi said. She returned to Link's shoulder. "Come on, Link. Let's go find Saria!"

Link didn't want to believe that the Hero of Twilight was lying to him, but either he was, or Sheik was. So far, Sheik had been right; he'd taught Link a song, told him where to find the Hookshot, and even informed him of his destiny. What had this other Hero done?

Then again, if there was even a small chance Saria was here, and the Hero of Twilight had bypassed her, then Link couldn't afford to stand around and argue with Navi; he needed to find his friend. He relented.

"Link, you stay here and wait for the boss if you want to. I'm going with Navi," Link declared.

The Hero of Twilight nodded his understanding. "Do as you believe is best."

Navi triumphantly fluttered over to the exit and bounced up and down excitedly.

Link would have followed her outside if metal bars hadn't slid up from the ground before him and fenced him in. He stopped.

The Hero of Twilight prepared to join him, but he never got the chance. Manic laughter rose to their ears, and both Heroes drew their blades.

In the center of the room, standing on the compass, a horse and its rider waited, as if they had been there all along. The horse was solid black, covered in armor. It pawed the ground and whinnied, then reared up. Its rider was a redhead with cruel golden eyes. He too, was covered in armor, and he held a weapon that was a cross between a spear and a staff. Link instantly recognized them as Ganondorf and his faithful nightmare stallion.

Link glared at him, not sure why he was there. He noticed the Hero of Twilight looking bewildered, but also angry, but Link quickly returned his gaze to the Gerudo King of Thieves.

Ganondorf grinned, then grabbed hold of his face. To both Heroes' horror, he pulled it off as if it were a mask. Horns appeared on his head as blue flames blazed. Only a skull remained of his face, the eye sockets hollow. Gold light suddenly appeared in them, creating his eyes. Both Links tensed as his horse reared up and began to float into the air.

"Who exactly is that?" the Hero of Twilight demanded as the strange person pointed at one of the paintings and created a swirling portal, before disappearing into it. He could still be seen as he and his steed dashed up the path, then disappeared into the castle.

"I thought it was Ganondorf, but…apparently not," Link replied.

"It's a phantom," Navi explained. "Ganon must have created it to cause even more chaos to befall Hyrule!"

The Hero of Twilight had no response to that. His eyes were fixed on every painting, trying to decide where the phantom would reappear. Link also began to search. He noted the horse and rider in the painting on his left, so he sheathed his sword and pulled out his bow, waiting for him to try and escape the picture.

The horse and rider turned around and began running back up the path. Link lowered his nocked arrow, unsure of what had happened. He heard a cry of pain on his left, then saw the Hero of Twilight nock another arrow, sending a horse and rider, both glowing white, back into the portal that had appeared.

"An illusion?" Link asked.

"I suppose we need to be careful," the Hero of Twilight replied. "You take aim for one, I'll target the other."

"Agreed," Link said.

It took two more arrows for something exciting to happen. As Link's arrow pierced the phantom's chest, the boss cried out and sent his horse back into the portal, where it disappeared. He began floating all by himself, waiting, laughing.

Both Heroes nocked their arrows and fired them, but Phantom Ganon merely dodged them and laughed harder. He sent a ball of electricity after the Hero of Twilight, who raised his shield and thrust it forward. The ball exploded upon contact with his shield, causing him to stare at it confused.

"That normally works," he said.

"Not today," Navi said.

Link glared at the phantom. "Well, if shields disperse the attack, and arrows are ineffective, how do we kill this guy? Link, what do you suggest?"

The Hero of Twilight was rifling through his back pouch, digging around for any sort of weapons. He pulled out an empty bottle, studied it, then put it back, shaking his head in disdain. He pulled out a rod with several pieces of metal branching off from it like claws. A green orb glowed atop it. The Hero of Twilight studied the phantom, contemplating.

"What is _that_?!" Link demanded, temporarily losing his focus on the phantom.

"It's a—" the Hero of Twilight was cut short as he looked up at Phantom Ganon above Link. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Link looked up in time to see Phantom Ganon twirl his spear and point at him. A ball of electricity sparked on his spear and flew at him. He took a step back and turned to run, only to see the fence behind him, blocking him in.

He was knocked aside, as if slammed into by a horse. Link hit the ground and lay there, momentarily dazed.

"Nnghnn…" the Hero of Twilight choked as he sunk to his knees. His body sparked, lightning arcing its way down him, centering on his chest. Several of his Heart Containers cracked and turned black.

"Link!" Navi cried. Apparently, it _was_ possible for the fairy to care about the Hero of Twilight.

Link dragged himself to his feet, watching the Hero of Twilight struggle to do the same. Phantom Ganon laughed at both of them, causing Link to angrily spin around and glare at him. The phantom twirled his spear.

"Not this time," Link snarled as the electric orb approached him. He tried to slice it in half, only to be surprised as it flew back at the phantom. The phantom swiped at it and sent it back to Link.

 _Ah, so that's how this works…_ Link thought. He attacked the orb, sending it flying back at the phantom. The orb slammed into him and he cried out, then sunk to the ground, kneeling and panting.

Link seized his opportunity and dashed over to Phantom Ganon, rapidly attacking it and trying to kill it. It returned to the air, still sparking, but at least Link had dealt some damage. He glanced to the side and noticed the Hero of Twilight now on his feet, no longer generating electricity. His hair was slightly sticking up more than usual, and his clothes were steaming, but he looked more angry than hurt. His glare at the phantom was murderous, and he waited for it to strike.

Both Heroes tag-teamed Phantom Ganon. If one of them missed the electric ball, the other would charge over to it and swipe it with their sword, sending it after the phantom.

The real fun began when the Hero of Twilight pulled out his bottle and tried to catch the sparks in it so he could run over to the phantom and just throw it at him. As he swiped at the air to catch the orb, it slammed into the glass and ricocheted off, launching back at the phantom.

The Heroes of Time and Twilight then decided that they were going to play dirty. Using their empty bottles, they ended up launching the attack back at the phantom, then charging over to him every time he fell.

The battle ended when Link charged over first and leapt into the air, bringing his sword down on Phantom Ganon's head. The phantom cried out once more and was lifted back into the air like a rag doll. He twitched sporadically, his body blazing with the blue flames both Heroes were now accustomed to seeing when monsters died.

The phantom hovered in the air, being drawn towards the center of the floor where the Triforce rested. A portal appeared, but the phantom did not yet enter.

"What is this?" a voice, obviously Ganondorf's, called. "I suppose the Temple of Time replicated you when you were locked up?"

Link kept his sword ready, and the Hero of Twilight walked over to him to ensure that they could protect each other if need be.

"I suppose it matters not. You both did quite well. It appears you may be gaining some slight skills, kid…"

Link knew Ganon was addressing him. The Gerudo King of Thieves hadn't met the Hero of Twilight, and Link was the only person he referred to as "kid".

"But you have defeated only my phantom…" Ganon continued. "When you fight the real me, it won't be so easy!"

Both Links stepped back in horror as the phantom glowed even brighter from the flames. It grabbed its head and cried out as Ganon said, "What a worthless creation that ghost was! I will banish it to the gap between dimensions!" The phantom's flame began to shrink as it was sucked into the portal on the ground, and both disappeared immediately.

A blue portal of light appeared on the floor, glowing in the center of the Triforce. The Hero of Twilight exchanged a look with Link.

"Is this where we need to go?" he asked.

"Yes," Link agreed, beginning to walk forward.

"Hey!" Navi called, causing both Links to stop and turn. She hovered before the Hero of Twilight. "I owe you an apology, Link…"

The Hero of Twilight waited.

"Thank you for saving _my_ Link. I was wrong to misjudge you," Navi said.

"It's nothing to be concerned about," the Hero of Twilight told her. "You weren't wrong to distrust me; you don't know anything about me besides what I tell you. As long as your suspicions don't hinder our quest, they are nothing to regret."

Navi said nothing, but instead landed on the Hero of Twilight's shoulder, showing him that she now trusted him. Since he had proven himself an ally of Link, she would consider him an asset and would allow him to follow along, it seemed.

Link chuckled and extended his hand, calling Navi back. He seized the Heart Container from the ground, then walked into the portal. It glowed brightly. The Hero of Twilight, who was waiting for Link to enter first, stepped back in surprise as Link was encased in a blue rupee-shaped glass-like object, which spun him around. The entire world turned dark, before lightening to a grey color, and Link vanished.

He reappeared in the Sacred Realm, unaware that the portal had vanished behind him, and that the Hero of Twilight had to ask Midna to warp him out. Link was still floating in the blue rupee-like object, unsure of what to do. His hands were raised above him as the crystal lowered to the ground. It faded around him, causing him to drop to the ground. He looked around, noting that nothing was different in the Sacred Realm, besides the obvious lack of Rauru the Sage.

Before him, the green medallion-shaped pedestal began to glow with blue light, which was something Link couldn't quite figure out. He hesitated, watching it closely.

 _I wonder who it is,_ Link thought, knowing it was a portal before him.

A young girl appeared on the green pedestal. She wore green boots that rose to her shins, as well as a green tunic that became shorts instead of being skirt-like. She also wore a dark green long-sleeved turtle neck with even darker green pinstripes. A belt girded her waist, the same color as her shirt. A headband held her green hair back. Her hair would have touched her shoulders except that it curled slightly forward. Her blue eyes gazed intently at Link, and she smiled.

"Thank you," Saria said. "Because of you, I could awaken as a Sage…"

Link couldn't believe his eyes. He was speechless, unable to interrupt Saria despite all the feelings swelling within him. Seven years had passed…and she still looked exactly the same. And here he was, an adult.

"I am Saria," she told him. "The Sage of the Forest Temple…"

 _Oh no…_ Link thought. _Oh please…please remember me… Please don't have forgotten who am too…_

He wanted to step forward, talk to her as if they were still both kids. Had drawing the Master Sword caused him to age like this? Is that why only he had grown up? Is that why none of his friends knew who he was?

"I always believed that you would come," Saria said, cutting off Link's dreadful thoughts. "Because I know you…"

 _Oh thank goodness…_ Link thought.

"Saria, I—" he began.

"No…" she interrupted. "You don't have to explain it to me."

Link slowly and reluctantly closed his mouth and waited.

"Because it is destiny that you and I can't live in the same world… I will stay here as the Forest Sage and help you… Now, please take this Medallion…" She held up her hands.

Link looked up and spotted the green light shining far above him. A green medallion with a wind pattern on it glimmered, then quickly began to fall towards him. It spun around, glowing in the light. Link held out his hands and accepted it.

 _I've received the Forest Medallion!_ Link thought, smiling. _Saria awakens as a Sage and adds her power to mine!_

All around Link, the world began to turn white. He blinked and looked around, perceiving nothing but the blinding nothingness that surrounded him. He tried to find Saria, to see her one more time. He couldn't.

"Saria will always be…your friend…" Link heard, but he could not identify the voice. He looked around once more, trying to find anyone, but he was alone.

The whiteness faded away, and Link found himself standing on the air, encased in the glowing blue light. He began to fall, but not too quickly that he would have to roll forward and absorb the damage. He found himself standing before the deceased Great Deku Tree. Before him, examining the tree, stood the Hero of Twilight.

As Link's feet touched the ground, the Hero of Twilight turned around and grinned.

"I thought I was warped to the wrong place," he said.

Link nodded, but said nothing. His heart was heavy. He had just seen Saria for two minutes tops, after waiting seven years and tolerating no one knowing who he was.

 _If the Kokiri are all still kids…_ Link began to think, _then perhaps I'm not like them… Maybe I really am different from Saria and her friends, as she told me when I first left the forest._

"Are you alright?" the Hero of Twilight asked. "You seem distressed."

"I'm fine," Link replied. He had the Medallion. He had cleared the Temple of monsters. He finally saw Saria again, and he had even awakened her from her non-Sage slumber. He was actually pretty okay. He simply wasn't pleased that he could no longer live amongst the Kokiri.

The Hero of Twilight was obviously not satisfied with Link's answer, but he chose to drop the conversation so he wouldn't hurt the Hero of Time even further. "So…question. What's the little tree for?"

Link instinctively looked at his feet, wondering what the Hylian Hero was talking about. He noticed the small tree immediately. It only rose to his knees, so he wouldn't have noticed it with his preoccupied thoughts.

The Hero of Twilight curiously walked over to examine the tree with Link, both of them wondering why it was there and what its purpose was. Link squatted down and leaned in close, studying the ground and the two leaves sprouting from the tree. The Hero of Twilight cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

To both Heroes' surprise, the tree instantly burst from the ground. The Hero of Twilight leapt back, slamming into the Great Deku Tree. He grunted, coughed, and slid to the ground, a stunned look on his face.

Poor Link, on the other hand, screamed in surprise as he was launched backwards, and landed on his back. He found that he was still yelling, even as he lay on the ground. He stared at the sky above, watching the clouds drift by on the breeze. He noticed the dark leaves that still had not fallen from the dead Great Deku Tree. Little fireflies danced all around his eyes.

Link stopped his yelling, then sat up, shook his head, and stared at the fat little tree that now stood before him. It was significantly larger than before: as tall as Link was, with two arm-like branches and about twelve leaves total on its body.

"Hi there!" it called cheerily, beaming at him.

The Hero of Twilight slid even further down to the ground, his expression showing relief that the tree couldn't see him.

"I'm the Deku Tree sprout!" the tree said. "Because you and Saria broke the curse on the Forest Temple, I can grow and flourish!"

The Hero of Twilight seemed confused at that statement, due to the fact that he too, had assisted in the purging of monsters from the temple, but he said nothing.

"Thanks a lot!" the tree exclaimed.

Link stood up and walked over, deciding that it would be better if he could converse with this tree.

"Hey, have you seen your old friends?" the sprout asked.

"Yes," Link replied.

"None of them recognized you with your grown-up body, did they?"

Link remained silent. The Deku Tree sprout was about to tell him the reason for such an oddity; he was sure of it.

"That's because the Kokiri never grow up! Even after seven years, they're all still kids!"

Link gave the tree a bewildered stare.

That's _why they're all still kids?!_ he wondered. He could barely see the Hero of Twilight sitting on the ground, confused. He seemed to be counting. His shadow was twitching slightly, and his words were very quiet and distorted.

Link had to quickly disregard his companion as the tree exclaimed, "You must be wondering why only you have grown up!"

Link waited. In his heart, he was beginning to believe he knew the answer. It hadn't been the drawing of the Master Sword that had caused him to age. After all, if such were the case, only _he_ would have grown up, and the multitudes of other people he had encountered would still remain the same age as when he first met them. No, there was another reason, and he knew why. He just needed confirmation.

"Well, as you might have already guessed, you are not a Kokiri!" the Deku Tree sprout declared. "You are actually a Hylian!"

The Hero of Twilight cocked his head to the side. "Wait…so…but I thought you already were a Hylian, or that the Kokiri were just another kind of Hylian…similar to the residents of Kakariko…but just named after the forest."

The Deku Tree sprout ignored Link's companion and continued with, "I am happy to finally reveal this secret to you! Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce war in our world. One day, to escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured… Her only choice was to entrust the child to the Great Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest."

Link waited. _So…I had parents._

"The Deku Tree could sense that this was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world, so he took him into the forest. After the mother passed away, the boy was raised as a Kokiri. And now, finally, the day of destiny has come! You are a Hylian, and were always bound to leave this forest. And now… You have learned your own destiny… So you know what you must do…"

"I am the Hero of Time," Link said. "I must save the world."

"That's right… You must save the land of Hyrule! Now, Link, break the curses on all the Temples and return peace to Hyrule!"

The Hero of Twilight shifted on the ground, then stood up and walked over to Link.

The Deku Tree sprout finally acknowledged him. "And you must know of your ancestor's curse. What will you do, since you do not belong of this world?"

The Hero of Twilight whirled around, his eyes wide. He couldn't say anything, not to that. He turned to Link, noted the Hero of Time confusion, then looked back at the sprout.

"How do you know who I am?" he asked.

"And _you_ bear the fate of Hyrule as well. As a Hero who wields that sacred blade, you are not entitled to leave Hyrule's destiny only to Link."

"How do you know who I am?" the Hero of Twilight repeated.

But the Deku Tree sprout was done talking. He waited, watching the confused Hero of Twilight spin around and walk past Link, unable to explain who he was to the Hero of Time.

. . . . .


	11. Gambling

**A/N: I do not own The Legend of Zelda or Nintendo. Thank you to the reviewers of the last chapter. Really, I love these things; they're like candy, but for my writing mood. Also, to The Legend of Zelda Fangirl, I'm not entirely sure if I can do that for you, but I'll try. It might be slight reference for you, like a small part of the conversation where Sheik's trying to teach them a song and TP Link's like, "Hey, I know that!" and just rattles it off the Ocarina because he can. Also, now I'm wondering about the Ballad of Gales...which howl song is that? Snowpeak? (I went looking and I'm not sure...) Regardless, if he sings it, I have no idea why. It might resemble another song...but who knows?**

 **Twilight Princess Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Ten

Gambling

Link had nothing to say. As the Hero of Time constantly asked him who he was, he couldn't reply. He was too shaken. His mind was swimming with thoughts.

 _Did the Deku Tree sprout see me when I was sniffing around?_ Link wondered. _Did he hear Midna? Did he_ see _Midna? Goodness, what will I do if my secret is exposed? Will Link even allow me to continue helping him if he learns I'm secretly a monster from the future? Well…I am an Ordonian, who's also a Hylian, who's also a wolf, and I'm enslaved by a Twili…but I'm also a Hero, so I guess I'm_ not _just a mutt…_

He could see Midna in his shadow. She must have also been extremely concerned for their identities. If Link was revealed to be a wolf, Midna would also have to be mentioned. How much of a hindrance would that be for them? Would they even be able to complete their quest, or would they be executed? After all, Midna's kind was banished to the Twilight Realm because of their magic, and Link himself could be viewed as a monster. Death seemed a very likely possibility if the two's identities were revealed.

The Hero of Time and his fairy weren't helping Link's thoughts either. The poor ex-Kokiri was so confused that Link almost felt sorry for him. He kept asking the same question over and over, but rephrased.

"Link, who are you?"

And Navi would follow that up with, "Why did the Deku Tree sprout say you weren't of this world?"

But Link remained wordless. He bypassed several Kokiris, who all ran out to greet his now-Hylian companion. The one standing in front of the house with weeds growing around it told Link, "I feel like I've known you for a long time, mister!"

That cheered up the Hero of Time, almost enough for him to stop questioning Link. The Hylian Hero talked to another little girl, standing on the path in front of Mido's house that led to the house of the Know-It-All Brothers.

"Now that the Deku Tree's sprout is growing in the Great Deku Tree's meadow, the forest has returned to normal!" she exclaimed.

The Hero of Time nodded his agreement and glanced up at Link, who was fleeing for the exit so he could leave behind the forest, the people in it, and, most importantly, the Deku Tree sprout.

"Wait up, Link!" the Hero of Time called, dashing after his friend.

But Link wasn't listening. He was too preoccupied. Good for his companion to finally be recognized again, but if he himself were recognized here, the only results would be trouble. He still wanted to know what the signs in front of the houses read, but he bypassed them and walked through the hollowed-out log and across the fat wooden bridge. Everything he saw seemed to condemn him, reminding him that he didn't belong there.

The leaves floating in the wind seemed to accuse him of being an imposter. The thudding of his feet on the planks almost roared _Monster!_ at him. The tree branches swaying with the breeze pointed accusing fingers at him, seemingly declaring insults: _Freak, monster, foul beast, you don't belong…_

 _But I do belong…_ Link thought. _Maybe not here…not in this time…but I have a purpose, and that purpose is to save Hyrule…no matter what the cost. Twilight too…!_

"Link, why won't you answer me?" the Hero of Time asked, concern lacing his voice.

"I can't," Link relented.

"But why?" Navi protested.

Link shook his head, still walking. He entered Hyrule Field and increased his pace to a run.

"Why not?!" Navi demanded, fluttering over to him.

The Hero of Time also caught up with him. "Link…we're just…we want to make sure danger isn't following you around."

"Are you the undead Stalfos warrior you told us about?" Navi asked.

Link slowed his pace to talk easier. "What? No… No, but my life must remain secretive…by the order of the Hyrulian Royal Family. Didn't I mention that?"

"But…!" the Hero of Time began, before he closed his mouth. "Very well then. But if you're facing some bad troubles, then just let us know. I can't guarantee we'll help—we have Hyrule to save after all—but, we can still try, alright?"

"Agreed," Link said.

The two Heroes walked along in silence for a while after that. Link spied a high stone wall rising up, piercing into his line of sight and hiding Hyrule Castle Town from view. In front of it, a lone tree grew, no doubt hiding some secret. Lone trees were always suspicious, just like circles of stones or grass.

"Lon Lon Ranch," the Hero of Time muttered thoughtfully. "Link, do you mind a slight detour?"

"Lon Lon?" Link asked. "Actually, I wanted to stop by there myself. Apparently, it's called Ingo Ranch these days, and there's a girl there I'm supposed to meet with."

The Hero of Time wore a look of confusion. "But…no? It's called Lon Lon Ranch. And would that girl happen to be Malon?"

Link nodded matter-of-factly. "It's Ingo Ranch now. And, yes, I believe that's her name." He began to walk over to the tall stone wall with dying plants growing atop it. It was so tall that, when he walked through the entrance, he couldn't see over it. He was aware of the Hero of Time staggering behind him, muttering with Navi and trying to comprehend what Link had told him.

The two entered the ranch, and time seemed to freeze. The sun locked in its place over the world, similar to how it did in Link's own homeland. To his left was a large farmhouse with wooden shutters and a single wooden door allowing access to its interior. To the left, a wooden building braced the stone border, and four brown pots lined the front of it. A wooden door could be seen.

"Well, there are two buildings," Link said. "You go left, I'll take right…agreed?"

"Agreed," the Hero of Time said. "I want to see Talon anyway."

Link nodded and walked into the wooden building, greeted immediately by the smell of manure, hay, and…what was this? A smell he didn't recognize, accompanied by a sound he'd never heard.

"Moooooooooo!"

Link entered the stable, which was nothing like the barn he used to herd Ordon goats into. Stables lined the opposing walls behind him. A useless square wooden fence sat empty to his right, slightly in front of him. He could see several strange animals standing in their pens, chewing hay. They had white bodies with several black spots. Their noses were pink and slicked with snot. They smelled just as terrible as a Reekfish, but in their own unique way.

 _What are these?_ Link wondered.

"Oh…a visitor!" a voice called.

Link's attention was immediately drawn to the young woman about his age standing right beside the useless square fence. She was very pretty, with thick, long red hair and vibrant blue eyes. She wore a white shirt with a yellow cloth bound around her shoulders, clasped by a gold, turtle-head-shaped pendant. Blue Hylian—Link guessed it was old Hylian—adorned the sleeves of her shirt. Around her waist, a brown belt with a silver Triforce buckle could be seen. A long pinkish-purple skirt rested on her hips, so long it reached her shins. She wore an apron-like piece of leather covered with more designs. Brown leather boots adorned her feet, similar to Link's in design.

"It's been a long time since we've had a visitor here…" she told Link. "Where did you come from?"

Link approached her. "A place similar to this, I would imagine," he replied. "Why has business been slowed as of late?"

"Since Ganondorf came, people in the Castle Town have gone, places have been ruined, and monsters are wandering everywhere," she replied.

Link nodded thoughtfully. "That's certainly a reason. What of the ranches personal affairs, if I may ask?"

"Mr. Ingo is just using the ranch to gain Ganondorf's favor…" the young woman said distastefully.

Link glared out of habit. He'd grown tired of Ganondorf, even though he'd never met him personally. However, he'd hated Zant before he met him too, and when the two had their first encounter, it was just as pleasant as Midna made it sound: very painful and bitter.

"Everyone seems to be turning evil…" the young woman said quietly.

Link nodded again, still thinking.

"But Dad…" the young woman began. "He was kicked out of the ranch by Mr. Ingo…"

 _Ah, so this is Malon,_ Link thought. _She's different than I imagined. I pictured her…less beautiful._

"Might I inquire what you're doing here, Miss?" Link asked her. "Why do you tolerate this Mr. Ingo when he has so brazenly disposed of your father?"

Malon looked on the verge of tears. "If I disobey Mr. Ingo, he will treat the horses so badly…" she told Link, her voice cracking with emotion. She was obviously torn between rebellion so she could reunite with her father, and subordination to make sure her beloved pets would remain safe. "So… There's nothing I can do…" she said, her voice no more than a mere whisper.

Link understood. He could imagine Ilia sitting quietly in the shadows to make sure Epona was alright. She would tolerate her own abuse, but once "her" horse was treated cruelly, Link had learned from experience that she had her own way of snapping, even though he hadn't even meant to mistreat his faithful steed.

He opened his mouth to provide words of encouragement, but found nothing to say besides, "I'll do my best to make sure that you have a choice." With that, he rested a comforting hand on her shoulder, then politely excused himself and left the way he had come from.

The Hero of Time emerged from the opposing building seconds later, his clothes and hair covered in feathers. He was grinning like a maniac, but his smile quickly melted away when he saw the look of anger and seriousness burning on Link's face.

"What's wrong?" the Hero of Time asked.

Link wordlessly pointed at the door leading to the stables before he stormed forward and entered the main part of the ranch, walking through the open iron-barred gates. He saw a tall fence bordering an inner section of the paddock, with a stone gateway forming an entrance. However, the iron gates prevented anyone from accessing it, and also kept the horses from freely wandering around the path. They were trapped inside the fence, neighing, whinnying, and rearing. Two stone-and-metal-bar fences made jumps, one higher than the other.

So, even though the horses were barred inside the fence, at least they could jump if they got bored. Link counted about five of them, roaming around the inside. Four of them had brown bodies, but one of them was sorrel in color. One brown horse, as well as the sorrel, wore saddles, but neither horse looked happy about it. Link wouldn't have been happy either. Who knew how long they had been walking around in the fence with the sun beating down upon them? At least he made sure Epona remained healthy, well-fed, well-groomed, and had her own shelter. He used to take her saddle off often enough, and, on occasion, even traded it out with a grey one sitting inside his house, collecting dust.

But these horses… Epona could wander around and eat grass, and other treats offered to her by the village children when their parents weren't looking, but these beautiful equines were all caged here, and for what?

Angry, Link stormed over to the man standing before the barred gate, leaving the Hero of Time to follow along in stunned silence. Fortunately for Link, he could still make a good poker face even when he was furious. It was only his eyebrows that had a will of their own; they were currently low on his face, just as they always were unless he was happy. In as pleasant a voice as he could muster, he managed to say, "Are you Mr. Ingo?"

The man, who was slightly shorter than Link was, wore a permanent scowl. His dark, bushy eyebrows and crooked evil-villain-like mustache were longer than his hair, which was trimmed short. Some hair grew up on his neck as well, but it was almost completely hidden by the hideous white collar of his shirt that spread out like the leaves on a Baba Serpent. He wore a reddish-orange vest over a blue long-sleeved shirt with white diamond-shaped pinstripes. White pants covered his belly, and green shoes hid his feet.

"There are some people in Kakariko spreading rumors that I cheated Talon out of the ranch, but…" the man told Link, which didn't exactly answer his question. "Don't be ridiculous!"

His words startled the Hero of Time behind Link, but the Hero of Twilight himself was too busy seething for Malon's sake to be frightened.

"That guy Talon was weak! I, the hard-working Ingo, poured so much energy into this place!"

 _So you_ are _Ingo,_ Link thought. He was struggling to hold back his biting comments. _Let him finish, Link,_ he mentally chided. _Don't want to become as snide and rude as Midna, do you?_

"I don't want any strangers like you saying anything bad about me!" Ingo declared to Link. "Listen. The great Ganondorf recognized my obvious talents and gave the ranch to me!"

 _I am so tired of hearing "the great Ganondorf",_ Link thought. _Anyone like him doesn't deserve to be called great…_

"I will raise a fine horse and win recognition from the great Ganondorf! Say, young men, would you like to ride my fine horses?" Ingo asked the two Links, seemingly remembering that he ran a business.

Link had to hold himself back from making any cruel remarks. He managed to calm his building anger to answer, "It would be a pleasure to ride one of _your_ beautiful horses…"

An evil glint could be seen in Ingo's eyes as he told Link, "Pay me ten Rupees and you can ride."

Link reached into his wallet and clawed out ten green Rupees. It was all he could do to prevent himself from thrusting them into Ingo's hands and maybe his mouth.

 _I've been around Midna for far too long…_ Link thought.

The Hero of Time himself was struggling to decide if he wanted to ride the horses, but he too reached into his pouch and echoed, "A pleasure…" as he handed them to Ingo. His eyes became fixed on the red horse, knowing that it was the one he wanted.

"Do you want to hear how to ride?" Ingo asked them.

Both Links responded in unison with a quiet, "No."

"Thank you so much. Heh, heh!" Ingo said, taking a key and unlocking the gate for them. Both Links entered, only to hear him tell them they had a single minute to ride horses. That was fine. After all, Link really only wanted to make sure the horses really were being treated right.

Link walked over to the brown horse to his right. It had a dark mane and tail, black legs, and a black muzzle. On its back, it wore an elaborate and definitely heavy red and green saddle. As he approached it, he was aware of the Hero of Time behind him, chasing after the sorrel horse.

Link patted the muzzle of this horse in a loving, assuring manner, and it gave him no resistance as he swung his leg into the stirrup and gently nudged it forward. He spied the Hero of Time standing completely still, the Ocarina of Time locked in his fingers. The Hylian Hero raised the instrument to his lips and began to play a melody that sounded very familiar to Link. In fact, when he howled it as a wolf, he would toss his head up high, then lower it slightly, before making it parallel with the ground, dropping the pitch and lengthening the note. He would then repeat the pattern to call his favorite horse in the entire world.

In fact, this sound had the exact same effect. The sorrel mare stopped, reared, then looked at Link. Her coat gleamed in the light as she ran towards him, her black hooves stirring up dust in her wake. Her legs were sorrel at the top, black at the knees, then became white all the way to her fluffy horsefeathers. Her mane and tail were also white, but her tail was black at its roots. Her muzzle was black with a white blaze running down it. Her blue eyes seemed filled with intelligence.

The Hero of Time grinned and patted her muzzle affectionately, then pulled himself into her brown leather saddle. He rode beside Link, both of them spurring their horses toward the fences and allowing their mounts to leap them with ease.

 _So these horses are being treated well,_ Link thought. _No thanks to Ingo…_ There was no doubt in his mind that Malon was the only reason these horses were strong and healthy.

The minute passed relatively quickly, and the Links found themselves being ushered off the horses and back into the rest of the paddock.

"Well, that was fun," the Hero of Time said with a wide grin. "Wanna do it again?"

Link considered it. He really didn't; he had better things to do, like have a chat with Midna, as well as figure out a way to return the ranch to Malon. However, because of the pleading look on his fellow Hero's face, he answered, "I'm not very impressed with the minimal amount of time provided to ride the horse. However, if you want to spend your money and ride the horse again, do as you wish. I'm not going anywhere…"

The Hero of Time practically leapt for joy. He ran back over to Ingo, Rupees already in hand. Link watched him from a distance. The melody that was Epona's Song drifted through the air. Link leaned against the wall, waiting, thinking.

"I don't suppose this guy's your ancestor?" Midna mused, rising from Link's shadow but remaining out of the Hero of Time's sight so that she would not be spotted by the Hylian Hero or his fairy companion. "How else could you two both know the same song?"

Link was silent for a moment before replying, "It's a possibility. However, I believe we have more pressing matters to discuss, such as the Deku Tree sprout back in the Kokiri Forest."

Midna's only visible eye narrowed. "I don't know how he knew so much about us, Link. And there's really no way to know which one of us he was talking to, either. After all, his words could be attributed to both of us."

Link quietly watched the Hero of Time gracefully leap a fence on his sorrel mount before replying with, "I hadn't considered that he might be talking to you."

Midna glared through her helmet. Her hair swayed in the breeze, but she didn't seem to notice. "Regardless of who he was talking to, the fact remains that we absolutely _cannot_ disclose any potentially dangerous information to Link and his fairy. He believes the tree spoke to _you_ , so we have to work on protecting your identity. Otherwise…"

Her thought went unfinished. The two watched the Hero of Time from where he rode, only to be surprised as his horse stopped running. The Hylian Hero began to call down to Ingo, but neither Link nor his Twilit companion could hear what was being said.

However, they didn't need to. Both of them saw Ingo enter the corral, accept something from the Hero of Time, seize the other saddled horse by the reins, and lead it out of the fence. The Hero of Time was also escorted out, and the gate was locked behind him.

"Where do you suppose they're going?" Midna asked.

"Ten Rupees says they're about to race," Link said.

Midna rolled her eyes. "Ten Rupees says you're full of pumpkin soup."

However, much to Midna's dismay, the Hero of Time and Ingo steered their horses side-by-side behind a white line, waiting. After a few seconds of hesitation, Ingo's horse dashed forward. Nevertheless, the sorrel mare was not to be outdone. She thundered alongside Ingo's horse and then overtook them, running the back stretch of the corral.

Link held out his hand and snapped his fingers twice. His message was clear: _Pay up_.

Midna growled. She snapped her own fingers and a yellow Rupee appeared in her tiny hands. She pressed it angrily into Link's hand, then plopped down beside him to watch the race.

"So…if you have a secret stash of money, why don't you ever lend me any when I'm in dire need?" Link asked.

Midna snorted. "Why would I give you my money? Hyrule is full of chests and pots and grass. I have to buy things too in Twilight."

Link nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose it never dawned on me that your people and mine might share the same currency." He watched the sorrel horse thunder past the finish line and skid to a halt. He stood up, ready to greet his companion and go to their next dungeon.

However, Ingo had other ideas for them. As Link approached, he saw the Hero of Time dismount the mare and begin talking with the ranch owner. He stepped close enough to hear Ingo's yelling.

"Sh-shoooot!" Ingo shouted as he held his head and began stamping his feet angrily on the ground.

"Looks like you're not the only sore loser," Link whispered to Midna, who had disappeared back into his shadow. That comment earned him a strange tickling sensation in his feet, which caused him to stomp down on the ground. "Stop tickling my feet, Midna!" he hissed.

"If the great Ganondorf found out about this humiliation…" Ingo told the Hero of Time. "Hey, you! How about another race! If you win…"

The Hero of Time waited eagerly.

"You can keep…the horse!"

The Hero of Time immediately accepted the challenge and remounted the sorrel mare.

Ingo himself stormed over to his own mount and climbed on top. He jabbed a finger at Link and snarled, "You keep track of the race as the official witness to what I said!"

Link nodded wordlessly, then returned to the wall and sat back down.

"Wanna gamble again?" Midna asked him.

"Depends…" Link said.

"Fifty Rupees says Link wins this."

"I was gonna vote for Link too. So…bet's off."

Midna snorted. "No, it's still on. If Link loses, then we pay the money to Malon."

Link gave her a surprised look before he smiled and nodded. The two silently watched the race. It wasn't looking good for the Hero of Time at first, but he managed to free his mount from being pinned against the iron fence, and they thundered past Ingo.

"Go, Link!" Midna said, her strange Twilit voice barely audible, even to Link. As the Hero of Time passed the finish line, Link fist-bumped Midna and rose to his feet, only to see something strange happen before him.

Ingo leapt off his horse in a fury, then stormed over to Link and roared, "Get out of this paddock!"

Stunned, Link reluctantly obeyed and walked just outside the gate. He was followed by Ingo, who prodded him away from the bars and turned to glare at the Hero of Time, who was rapidly approaching them, still on horseback.

Ingo ripped out some of his hair as he practically screamed at the Hylian Hero, "What's up with that horse?! Is that Epona?"

Link flinched at the mention of his own horse's name. He looked back at the sorrel mare, studying her. He wanted to kick himself, but it wouldn't do him any good. Why hadn't he noticed that she shared the exact same intelligent glint as his own horse? They were even the same breed, for Hyrule's sake! The only difference was their color!

"How did you tame that wild horse right under my nose?!" Ingo demanded.

Link tried to step forward and take a closer look at Epona, but he was forced back by Ingo and given a murderous look. He didn't want to get on the rancher's bad side, just in case he tried to hurt Malon, so he backed up and watched from ten feet away.

"I was going to present that horse to the great Ganondorf…" Ingo muttered. "But I bet it on the race and lost! Shooot!"

The Hero of Time wasn't sure what to make of that news. Neither was Epona, apparently, because she lowered her head, pawed the ground, then looked up again.

Ingo managed to regain himself, clasping his hands behind his back. A new glint appeared in his eyes, and it was just as cruel as that of a monster. He laughed, a dreadful, "Hah ha hah!" No doubt he had schemed something devious.

Link took a tentative step forward, then sent a warning with his eyes at the Hero of Time. His alert was reflected back, but with a different meaning. The Hero of Time had a much better view to see the evil in Ingo's face; he wasn't sure what was going to happen, but Link was no safer than he was. Just because Link himself hadn't won the race, he was not exempt from any evil that Ingo might want to inflict upon the Heroes. And the Hero of Time was sending him the caution, just to let him know that he should run, lest he be harmed.

"As I promised, I'll give the horse to you…" Ingo said. His voice was far too calm, far too controlled…

Far too evil.

"However…" Ingo began.

 _Here it comes,_ Link thought.

"I'll never let you leave this ranch!" he declared.

Both Links couldn't have made a more surprised expression as the iron gates groaned and slammed shut. The Hero of Time shot another warning at Link, then charged the fence. Ingo didn't budge, not even fazed, but Epona refused to jump the iron bars.

"Run, Link!" the Hero of Time declared, turning Epona around and running around the paddock in search of an escape route.

Unfortunately, his call reminded Ingo of Link's presence right behind him. He turned around, the evil glint still in his eyes. He took a step towards Link, who backed up slightly and drew his weapons.

"Do not charge me," Link warned. "If you do…"

He was abruptly cut short as Ingo seized him by the front of his tunic. His chainmail clinked in response, and the leather on his outfit made its distinctive groaning noises with the movement.

Despite Ingo's evil, Link couldn't bring himself to strike back. After all, the ranch owner might still be a nice Hylian, just made evil by Ganondorf's "generosity". If Link impaled him now, he'd be no better than the Gerudo King of Thieves: a murderer. The Hero of Twilight only killed monsters and phantoms, but people were entirely out of the question. Ingo hadn't murdered anyone yet. He deserved another chance.

Link refused to release his weapons as he was dragged over to the house where Malon was. The door was opened and he was thrown inside, with his weapons still in his possession. Ingo slammed the door shut behind him and barred it from the outside, leaving Link alone except for Malon and her strange animals.

She looked up at Link as he stood up and dusted himself off. "Back again?" she asked.

Link grunted and sheathed his weapons, walking over to her. "I may have successfully gotten myself locked in here…so you're trapped too. My apologies, Miss."

"Please," she began, "call me Malon. Besides, it's no trouble at all. This won't be the first night I've spent in this stable." She laughed halfheartedly in an attempt to lighten the mood. "At least I'm not all alone with the cows this time, though."

Link stood there, confused. "These are called cows?" he asked.

Malon nodded. "Have you never heard of them?"

"I'm from a very distant land."

"I see." The two were silent for a moment before Malon added, "Might I ask you your name, stranger?"

"Link."

She was silent again before exclaiming, "Really? Link! That's what I thought! You're the fairy boy from the forest! That was years ago!"

Link shook his head. "You have me confused with someone else. In fact, the Link of whom you speak is the reason I'm in here in the first place."

The happiness in Malon's eyes seemed to fade. "Oh…I'm sorry."

Link waved it off. "Easy mistake. We look the same and we have the same name."

Malon nodded. "How is he doing?"

"Considering that he's going to be stuck here for all eternity too, I'm guessing you'll get to meet him again and see for yourself."

Link stared at the door, trying to will it to open with his eyes. Unfortunately, wood didn't register that the death glare roughly translated to, _Get out of my way…_ It still remained in its place, and he debated blowing it up or reducing it to splinters with his Ball and Chain. Instead of doing either, he just sighed and relented, resting his hand on the doorframe.

 _Forgive me for not running away and finding help for you, Link,_ Link thought. _I hope you can somehow make it out of here safely…_

But there was really no way for him to know.

. . . . .

 **A/N: Hehehehehe...you weren't expecting this, were you? Also, heads-up warning, there might be a little TP LinkxMalon in the next chapter, but that was a bit unintentional and probably won't happen again... Probably... Especially since OoT Link is the one who marries Malon so that TP Link can come to be, so it'd be incredibly weird to have TP LinkxMalon. Yeah I'll try not to let it happen again.**


	12. Escaping the Ranch

**A/N: To Philowen Aster (who shamelessly steals her cousin's account haha!), you have a very valid point; Link could transform into a wolf and scare Ingo, and as much as I would love to do that for you, I had already written this chapter so...sorry. However, another reason I can't do that is because A: Link refuses to transform in front of people and B: He refuses to scare people unless already a wolf. You get the message "You can't transform here! You might scare someone!" or something like that. Midna won't do that. Besides, I think the horses might get pretty ticked and try to trample him if he showed his face outside. On the other hand, I kind of wonder what all the animals would tell him as a wolf...**

 **I do not own the Legend of Zelda or Nintendo.**

 **Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Eleven

Escaping the Ranch

Link spent about twenty minutes on Epona, just aimlessly wandering around the paddock. It was as if his legs had been grafted to the sides of the saddle and his feet melded with the stirrups; he couldn't get off Epona even if he wanted to. He steered her around the pasture, fully aware of Ingo's eyes fixed on his every move.

And the Hero of Twilight, where had he gone? Link had looked around the pasture for a full minute before glancing back and seeing his companion gone. He wasn't sure if Ingo had dragged him off, or if he'd fled. Either way, the other Hero was nowhere to be found.

But even if he was still around, what was he going to do? Climb the fence and drag Link over the top of it so both of them could flee? Good plan, but what about Epona? This whole endeavor had been all for her. If they were to just leave the poor mare behind, then the little misadventure would have been for nothing.

Link slowed his horse to a stop and sighed. Epona refused to jump the iron gate; he'd pushed her toward it several times, and each time yielded the same result; she slid to a halt in front of it, reared, then forcefully turned herself against Link's will. She wasn't stupid; she knew what she was going to jump, and what she was going to avoid.

Link stroked her shoulder, rubbing it to let her know he loved her.

"I'm not leaving you here," he told her. "But I need you to help me out of here…"

Epona stared at the high wall, as if asking Link to steer her towards it. Not sure of what else to do, he spurred her onward. She whinnied and kicked off the ground. Link was aware of Ingo's stunned face, and even the look of terror that replaced that look, but he wasn't able to be concerned about it. He felt himself go weightless for a moment, watching the world around him rush by at astounding speed. He saw the sky above, the clouds lazily drifting across it. The grass below him slightly rippled with the wind.

Link felt his hair blow out of his eyes and behind his ears. His earrings gleamed in the sunlight. The saddle beneath him creaked and groaned, the distinctive leather noise piercing the otherwise-calm air. He wanted to laugh with delight from the feeling, but he couldn't because he'd get a mouthful of Epona's snowy main, and he was pretty sure that wouldn't taste good.

Then gravity finally set in. Epona soared gracefully over the fence and the stone wall, only to begin falling toward the ground at frightening speeds. Link held onto her reins tightly and braced himself for impact. Epona's hooves slammed into the ground with jarring force, and Link was almost knocked clean off her back. He miraculously held on, even as she continued running along the ground toward the dirt paths.

Epona reached the path and thundered down it like a gorgeously deadly beast. Any monsters on the ground would have been trampled. Fortunately for them, they didn't choose to live near the ranch.

As Epona neared the wooden fence that randomly ran along a section of Hyrule Field, she reared up, Link gripping her reins tightly. She neighed loudly, triumphantly. Navi fluttered around Link's head, and he looked at her curiously as Epona's front hooves slammed back down onto the ground. He then turned slightly in the saddle to see behind him. He found no signs of pursuit, which was a relief.

"So," he asked Navi, "do you think we should go looking for Link in Kakariko?"

Navi was silent for a moment before saying, "We should search Castle Town first. If I were separated from you, I'd head there first. That's where we met Sheik after all."

Link nodded his agreement and turned Epona in that direction. He nudged her flank, spurring her onward.

 _Don't worry, Link,_ Link thought. _I'm coming to show you I'm alright. If you're in Castle Town, just wait for me…_

. . . . .

But Link wasn't in Castle Town. He wasn't going back there even if he was paid a thousand Rupees. No, he was still in the stable with Malon. He told her about the Hero of Time's well-being, but the conversation quickly switched to multiple things, causing Link to begin talking about music and consequently show her the Ocarina that the Hylian Hero had handed to him. She showed him how it worked, and soon enough he was playing the familiar melody of Epona's Song. The cows in the stable seemed to like it, as most of them were mooing at him.

"So you're a rancher too?" Malon asked, changing the topic once again.

Link nodded. "I'm actually a herder, but my job is on a ranch, so that makes me a rancher."

"Do you have any horses, or do you herd on foot?"

"I have a horse."

"Male or female?"

"Female."

"Does she have a name?"

Link laughed. "I think Ilia would kill me if I left her nameless. She's called Epona."

Malon gasped. "Just like my baby!"

"Yes. In fact, I was surprised to hear the sorrel mare's name was Epona. It brings back memories of my home. I wonder how they're doing…"

Malon would have asked him another question about his town, but she was cut short by the sound of rattling outside. Link looked at the door that kept them sealed inside the stables. He was just getting used to the smell of cow manure and hay. What did Ingo want with him now? Was he here to beat him? Link wouldn't tolerate that. He glanced at Malon, then glared back at the door.

 _If Ingo is here to hurt her…_ he thought, anger slowly rising in him. His muscles tightened with anticipation. The pressure of rage in his chest was increasing. _What do you want, Mr. Ingo?_

The door flew open as if by a whirlwind. Ingo came running in, his face ashen and full of fear. He slammed it shut behind him.

Link glared and instinctively pushed Malon behind him so he could protect her if need be.

But Ingo wasn't focused on him. Instead, he ran to the back corner of the barn and threw himself down in front of the back wall, crying, shaking, hands over his head. Link could very clearly hear his sobs, but he didn't dare approach. It could very well be a trap, a way to lure him close so Ingo could stab him in the leg and beat him to death.

But Malon must not have sensed this possible threat. She walked out from behind Link and called, "Mr. Ingo? Mr. Ingo, are you alright?" She took a step forward, only for Link to extend his arm and hold her back. She looked at him, confusion on her face.

Link just shook his head wordlessly. His expression said it all for him: _Let me handle this. Stand back._

Malon was reluctant, but she relented and allowed Link to handle the matter. Link cautiously approached Ingo's trembling form, but he stayed three feet away just in case he needed to be able to flee. The door wasn't blocked anymore. Link could just take Malon and escape. But Malon was too nice; she wasn't going to leave Ingo all alone, even if he had been very mean to her.

"Mr. Ingo," Link began, "what troubles you?"

All he received in response were unintelligible cries and a massive amount of pleading.

Link tried again. "Mr. Ingo, what is the matter?"

More tears. More trembling. More indecipherable words. Ingo's voice was almost as jumbled as Midna's, but at least the Twili girl actually had a language that Link could understand.

"Mr. Ingo?" Malon asked, taking a tentative step forward.

Link held out his hand, halting her. He regretted his decision as he did it, knowing that he was making himself very vulnerable. Even so, if it wasn't him, then it would be Malon. At least he had a sword and shield. He knelt beside Ingo and rested a comforting hand on his back, gritting his teeth and preparing for any consequences…any blows that might come from this.

He could feel the cold sweat soaking Ingo's clothes. His hand shuddered because of Ingo's trembling body. The poor man just kept crying. Link tried for his most comforting voice, the one he used when one of the goats got its head stuck in the fence, or when Epona had an injury and he couldn't run to Ilia for help because she would definitely murder him.

"Mr. Ingo, please tell me the situation. Perhaps I can be of assistance."

Ingo finally managed a few words: "The great Ganondorf…he'll…he'll…" His voice broke as he continued sobbing, but at least Link had gotten words as a response.

"What will Ganondorf do?" Link prodded.

"He'll kill me!" Ingo whimpered. "Because of that…that Link…taking that horse and…and…leaping the fence and… I was…going to give it to the great Ganondorf. But…but…"

Link crawled in front of Ingo and put his other hand on the ranch owner's shoulder, trying to gain his attention. He squeezed his hands, causing the pitiful ranch-hand to look up at him. His eyes were swelling with tears and his nose was running. He was still shaking uncontrollably.

"Ganondorf will not kill you," Link assured him. "Did he ever mention doing so?"

"No, but—" Ingo began, but Link interjected before the ranch owner could find another reason to be afraid.

"Did he ever say that he'd kill you for not providing a fine horse for him?"

"No, but—"

"Did he tell you, 'If you do not bring me a fine horse, if you do not pay me back for providing this ranch for you, I will kill you!'?"

"No…?"

"Has he even visited this place since he turned possession of it over to you?" Link asked.

"No…"

"I don't think he even cares about you," Link told him. "I believe he simply wanted to cast Hyrule into even more chaos, and what better way to do that than stop the flow of products coming from this ranch? Listen to me, Mr. Ingo, do you see that girl over there?" Link pointed to a very confused Malon.

"Y-yes…" Ingo stuttered.

"That girl is very nice, do you hear me? I believe Ganondorf will be angry with you for losing possession of the ranch, and throwing this pitiful tantrum just because of a single horse. If you dare set foot outside this ranch, then you may be killed by him or his monsters. However, that girl over there, you may have hurt her, may have hurt her horses, but I think she may forgive you…"

"But…but why?" Ingo asked.

"Because she's very nice," Link said, which earned a nod from Malon. Good, she was on his side. "Now, I think that if you go back to being a nice, hard-working ranch-hand here, return the possession of this ranch to that nice young lady over there, allow her father to return, rip down the gates barring this place, she may forgive you. She may allow you to continue working here, and perhaps she will even give you a place to stay…"

Malon nodded silently.

"But you will do these things, and you will be a good worker. You will not mistreat her animals, or you can expect your own mistreatment. You will obey her and her father. If you continue being subservient of Ganondorf, and he learns of your failure to maintain this ranch, then you can expect no place to hide. But this girl and her father, I believe they will protect you. Because she wants to protect her animals, and her father wants to protect her, so they should do the same for you if you yourself are beneficial to them. However, the decision rests on her shoulders of whether or not she wants to allow you to stay here."

Malon entered the conversation. "I will forgive you, Mr. Ingo, if you do as Link says. However, I have my own request to add to that."

Ingo stopped sobbing and listened closely.

"Please go back to being the lovely hard worker my daddy and I were so proud of having employed here!"

Ingo practically tripped over himself as he rose to his feet. "I will, I will!" he exclaimed.

Link backed away as Malon shook Ingo's hand in agreement. He smiled as Ingo hugged Malon and apologized again and again to her. His job was done. He was free to leave, and leave he would. He needed to find the Hero of Time, after all. Besides, he didn't belong here; Malon and her worker needed time to fix the damage that had happened between them.

Link walked towards the door and opened it, listening to the wood scrape the dirt ground he had probably spent thirty minutes sitting on, chatting with Malon. He exited the building, cast a glance at the empty paddock that should have held his companion. He noted that the horses were still locked inside the smaller pen, but that was alright. Malon would probably order it torn down, and her horses would be allowed to roam again, if they roamed at all.

The door opened behind Link.

"Wait, please!" Malon called, running toward him.

Link stopped, turned away from the path that would lead him out of the ranch, and looked at her.

"Thank you so very much!" Malon told him. "Please, you must allow me to give you something so I can express this gratitude."

Link just shook his head. "I really didn't do anything; that was all Link. He's the one who rescued Epona and got Mr. Ingo to go into that room. Besides, he already took Epona with him. That's payment enough."

Malon wouldn't allow him to refuse. She grabbed hold of his left hand and held it, not letting him leave. "Link may have saved my horse, but you saved my ranch, my father, and you even spared Mr. Ingo. He threw you in there. You had a sword and shield but didn't hurt him, even though you could have. You…you made him a good person, and I can't let you leave without first giving you something to express my thanks."

"But—" Link began, only to have Malon rest her finger on his lips and silence him. His eyes widened. If Ilia learned of this…but she was only keeping him quiet…!

"Link took my favorite horse, but I have others. The one who stands saddled in that corral, take him with you on your journey. I won't let you decline."

Link hesitated, then took her finger off his lips and said, "I will accept the horse, but you must allow me to make my own request."

"Name it."

"You must allow me to return the steed to you after my quest is completed."

Malon looked surprised. "Why?" she asked.

"Once my quest here is completed, I will return to my homeland, back to my own horse. I won't need yours."

Malon shook her head. "Keep him. Bring him back to your Epona and have them make cute little baby foals."

"Are you really sure you want me to raise a bunch of horses when I don't even know what a cow is?" Link asked her.

Malon laughed. "Bring back the horses to your ranch and raise them with whatever you normally herd."

"Ordon goats," Link informed her.

"Ordon…what?"

Now Link laughed. "Looks we have our own diversity. A goat is a creature kind of like your cow. It has horns that curl back into each other, and it's really fluffy and it's as blue as the sky. But, when you make it mad, it turns red and charges into your horse and knocks you off."

Malon smiled. "Tell you what, after your quest is completed, if you bring me this strange 'goat', then I'll trade you a cow, and we can have our farms full of diversity. However, I have one question for you, what all does a goat do?"

"Well, you can milk it, and you can make cheese from the milk. Its thick fur makes excellent blankets and clothes, and it tastes pretty good."

"I'll trade you two male cows and two female cows for two male goats and two female goats."

Link nodded. "If it's possible, I'll try to get that for you."

"I'd like that."

Link allowed Malon to bring him to the corral, where she brought the brown horse out for him. He climbed into the saddle and shifted in it, trying to get comfortable. How long had it been since he'd last ridden, besides the minute Ingo allowed him? How long had it been since he'd rode his own horse? A week? Probably. Why did it feel like so much longer?

"Go save the world…if that's what your quest is," Malon told Link.

Link nudged the horse forward. "I'll be sure to do just that…" He spurred the horse onward, cantering out of the ranch, leaving Malon and Ingo all by themselves. The ranch girl couldn't hear Link complete the last of his sentence as he thundered down the path.

"…For both of them…"

. . . . .

 **A/N: Ohmygoodness! A horse for Twilight Princess Link in the past! I always wanted that one...more than Epona actually, after I'd beaten the game twice. Entering Gerudo was killer because that other gorgeous beauty with that green saddle just...argh! I wanted it sooo bad! So I gave its look-alike to TP Link. And yes, I have currently decided that he'll actually take the horse back with him to Ordon, so he** _ **does**_ **keep it. Unless that decision changes, this horse will be his forever.**


	13. Prelude of Light

**A/N: I've been wanting to post this chapter ever since my delightful reviews from kaitlynowens and ThanosAC because those two ideas are like perfection and I want to write them for you two. But I didn't have this chapter written at the time, and when I went to write it, it was terrible! So I switched the perspective of the chapter from TP Link to OoT Link. I had originally typed it up from TP Link's perspective. But now it's not...as you can see below. As usual, I do not own the Legend of Zelda or Nintendo.**

 **Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Twelve

Prelude of Light

The Temple of Time was empty. Its marble floor gleamed in the dying light of the sun, a faint red gracing the polished ivory and obsidian. The Spiritual Stones glittered spectacularly before the open Door of Time. Above them, the Golden Triforce dominated the wall.

Link's footsteps echoed through the building, his boots making distinctive clicking noises on the tiles. If there had been anyone around, they would have definitely been alerted to his presence.

But he was alone. His only company was Navi. He hadn't seen the Hero of Twilight when he first walked in, nor did he spot him in the adjacent room containing the Pedestal of Time. Regardless of the evidence pointing to the fact his friend hadn't walked in, Link still felt hopeful. He entered the room, scanning it.

"Link?" Link called tentatively.

The only response he received was the echo of his own voice, booming off the walls like thunder.

"You're loud," Navi muttered, her own voice repeating as it bounced off the bricks.

"I guess he's not here," Link said, turning in a circle just to be sure the Hero of Twilight wasn't hiding in one of his blind spots.

He was still alone.

"It's kind of interesting that our whole adventure began because of this Pedestal," Navi said, fluttering over to the empty dais. "We missed seven yeas…and it feels like it's only been a week."

Link followed Navi over to the Pedestal. The Hero of Twilight was probably at Kakariko Village. If worst came to worst, he was trapped at the ranch. Either way, it wouldn't be too difficult to locate him again. All Link would have to do is ask around if people had seen his companion. If no one had, he would simply return to the ranch and rescue the Hero of Twilight. He had some time to reminisce…and regret his decisions.

"I…wish it were possible to take it back…to tell Zelda that this is going to happen to Hyrule, and petition her father to kick Ganondorf out of here…chase him into some faraway land and banish him to a netherworld," Link said. He drew the Master Sword, staring disdainfully at the blade as it cast a light grey shine on the floor. "I want to go back to the day I was a child, and tell Saria that I'm sorry for everything."

"Of all the things in Hyrule," Navi began, "your friends are the only people who remained the same."

"And that's what hurts the most."

It took only a second. One blink, and Link was no longer alone.

Sheik stood before him. Bandaged hair and fingers, masked mouth, blonde hair, red eye: nothing had changed about his appearance. He still hadn't gained proper shoes, but that was probably due to the need for him to sneak around soundlessly.

"You destroyed the wicked creatures that haunted the temple and awakened the Sage…" Sheik began.

"You're late…" Navi muttered.

"But there are still other Sages who need your help," Sheik said, disregarding Navi's comment. Link noticed him quickly glance at what was behind the Hero of Time, his red eye widening. His shock quickly wore off and he tried to regain his indifferent expression.

Link also risked a glimpse at what was approaching, only to see the Hero of Twilight walk wordlessly into the Temple of Time. His expression was calm, yet he also seemed mildly irritated. Perhaps he was trying to suppress his negativity; Link wasn't sure.

"In order to awaken all the other Sages," Sheik continued, causing Link to turn back to him, "you must become even more powerful. You must travel over mountains…"

The Hero of Twilight entered the room.

"…under water…"

The Hero of Twilight walked over and stood beside Link, his expression stony.

"…and even through time…" Sheik finished.

Link felt hope build within him. _Even through time?_ he asked himself. _I can…I can travel through time? How far?_

"If you want to return to your original time, return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time."

 _My original time? I can…_

"By doing this, you will travel back in time seven years…." Sheik proceeded.

 _I can be a kid again? See my friends…as we should be?_

Beside Link, the Hero of Twilight seemed to be struggling with that, but he didn't protest.

"The time will come when you will have to return here quickly…" Sheik announced. "I will teach this to you for when that time comes…"

"Teach me what?" Link asked, before it dawned on him.

He knew what Sheik was going to say even before the words even came out of the Sheikah's mouth: "The song to return you to the Temple of Time," he said patiently. "The Prelude of Light…" Sheik reached into his back pocket and drew his golden harp.

"Where do you even keep that?" Navi helpfully asked.

Sheik said nothing. As Link reached into his back belt pocket and pulled out the Ocarina of Time, the Sheikah began stringing his instrument.

The melody started off light in pitch, then became deeper, then repeated the first two notes before deepening still, then became just as high, or maybe higher, than the first note. Sheik played the melody to them twice, making sure they understood the sound.

Link began to copy the melody, only to hear the Hero of Twilight play it in a different pitch, at a different speed. The noise echoed loudly off the walls, powerful and projected…like a wolf howl. The notes were almost all the same length.

"It goes like this," Link said, restarting the melody, but mimicking Sheik rather than the Hero of Twilight. Above him, a golden light began to glow.

In Link's hands, the Ocarina of Time began to glitter and sparkle. He eyed it curiously. He heard the echo of his melody as the Hero of Twilight replicated it, his borrowed Ocarina also gleaming.

 _I have learned the Prelude of Light,_ Link thought.

"As long as you hold the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword," Sheik continued, interrupting Link's thoughts. "You hold time itself in your hands…" He noted the Hero of Twilight and gave him a nod of acknowledgement, then turned back to Link. "Link, we shall meet again!"

Sheik took two steps back and raised his hand in the air, fist clenched. He hesitated, staring at Link, asking him a silent question with that one red eye.

 _What are you waiting for?_ Link wondered. He caught a glimpse of the Hero of Twilight's eyes widening. The other Hero quickly shielded his eyes, but Link just stood there and watched Sheik.

The Sheikah couldn't delay for Link any longer. He threw down his Deku Nut and disappeared in a flash.

And that was the last thing Link saw before his vision became white nothingness. He covered his eyes, but it was too late. The Deku Nut had already destroyed his vision; now he was going to have to wait out the effects. He rubbed his eyes in a desperate attempt to regain his sight faster.

"You covered your eyes last time, but not this time?" the Hero of Twilight asked, somewhere to Link's left.

"I wanted to see if it was as bad as you made it look!" Link protested in self-defense.

"And?"

"Well, let's just say all I see is snow!"

"This is why you don't enter the light at the end of the tunnel…"

The Hero of Twilight probably wasn't expecting Link to whirl around and face him, relying on the sound of his voice to tell direction. Link reached into a belt pocket on his shoulder.

 _Let's see how you enter the light at the end of the tunnel…_ he thought. His fingers locked around the fist-sized seed in his pouch. He pulled it out of the stealthily-hidden pocket and threw it, hoping it would reach its mark.

Another flash! Why hadn't he thought to close his eyes from the second wave of intense white? Even so, Link wouldn't back down. He'd made his move, it was the Hero of Twilight's turn now.

Unfortunately, all he received was silence, probably from shock or disbelief. He was forced to ask a question.

"Did I get you?"

"Are you kidding me?" the Hero of Twilight demanded from somewhere in front of him. "You have your own _limited_ arsenal of blinding flashes and you choose to use them on _me_?!"

"Hey, I have thirty or so of these things!" Link replied in his defense.

"You mean you don't know?"

"I'm relying on memory to tell me where I keep them. I don't count how many I have remaining unless I have free time on my hands, and I couldn't keep track of them just then. Besides, I've no idea how many I've thrown!"

Link suddenly became breathless. His body was in motion, soaring over the ground in a second that seemed like a weightless infinity. His eyes widened, but he still couldn't see.

"All I see now is snow, too, thank you very much!" the Hero of Twilight snarled as he and Link thudded to the ground.

Link's tunic scraped across the floor as he skidded over the bricks. He grunted, trying to sit up but finding himself unable to.

"Boys…" Navi sighed from somewhere. Link could never be sure about her location since she was constantly fluttering around. If he could see her though, she would probably be on the floor with them, roughhousing. "Get off the floor. We have better things to do… Besides, you look ridiculous horsing around."

Link was hauled off the floor by the Hero of Twilight, held by his shoulders. His shoulder belt made the distinctive noise of leather stretching and adjusting due to movement.

"Hnngh…" he heard the Hero of Twilight grunt. "Tseaah!"

Link went flying to the left, dragged off his feet by his companion. Another second of weightlessness. Another moment of terror. He hit the ground again, skidding across it.

"But why do we have to go?" Link whined, a smile spreading across his face. He picked himself off the ground and charged in the direction he hoped his companion was in. The world seemed to white over a blur of grey…but at least it wasn't nothingness. "This is _fun_!" he declared, seizing the Hero of Twilight by his biceps and shoving him against the wall, pinning him there. He could almost see a grey shape now. He could almost see the Hylian Hero.

"Fun…" the Hero of Twilight muttered in agreement. He shook his left arm free and promptly kneed Link in the chest.

Link staggered away, breathless. He shook his head, then blinked repeatedly and rubbed his eyes. He looked up again, the world now a bluish-grey. He could see the bricks! He could see the greying light as it filtered through the windows high above! He could see Navi—tiny, helpless, adorable Navi—fluttering above him where it was safe!

"Hey, I can see again!" he exclaimed in delight. He looked over at the Hero of Twilight, just to see his companion finish rubbing his own eyes and look up at him.

 _He looks like a monster with that stare!_ Link thought. His friend came charging toward him again, knocking him off his feet once more. The two collapsed to the ground, the Hero of Twilight forcing Link down and sitting on his chest, knees pinning his arms down.

"I think we both know who'll win this wrestling match," the Hero of Twilight said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

Link managed to free his left arm and pull out another Deku Nut, its golden interior glowing spectacularly. The perfect weapon. He grinned and waved it tauntingly in front of his companion.

"Well, if you're blind, I'll win," Link said smugly.

The Hero of Twilight snatched it from his hands and studied it. He stood up, staring at it intently. He glanced back at Link and pocketed it, saying, "It's mine now."

"Very well then. I can now steal _six_ weapons from your grave, plus take my Ocarina back."

The Hero of Twilight marched over and thrust the seed back into Link's hand, pushing him back to the ground in the process. "No way. Unless I can have the whole bag, you aren't getting anything else from me but my bottles and Clawshot."

"What's a Clawshot?"

"It's a Hookshot, but better. It can't hook into trees or roofs, but it can grab enemies, allow me to hold onto walls, raise and lower me from the ceiling, activate switches, and so much more!"

"It doesn't work on trees? Sorry, but all other reasons for its convenience are now void."

Navi sighed in exasperation. She was probably thinking, _Leave it to boys to take forever…_ She fluttered over to the Door of Time, leaving the Heroes to their weapon comparisons and bickering.

Both Links looked up, seeing her flee through the open Door and zoom over the altar containing the Spiritual Stones.

"Wait up, Navi!" Link called, rolling to his feet and nearly tripping over himself as he tried to catch up to her.

The Hero of Twilight ran alongside him and gave him a smug look. He sped up, rolling forward and past the dais with the Light Temple's insignia on it. Link tried to roll after him, but he wasn't nearly as fast. He growled some indecipherable words as the Hero of Twilight sprinted past Navi.

"Get back here!" Link shouted. He rolled after his friend, but he still wasn't quick enough. The Hero of Twilight launched over the stairs outside of the Temple of Time, sprinting into the dilapidated remains of Castle Town.

Fortunately for Link, the Hero of Twilight froze instantly. Unfortunately, it was due to a Redead screech, and he himself felt his body lock up.

The Redead approached the Hero of Twilight, who was grunting as he tried to move. His voice was a mixture of several things: fear, desperation, denial; but the emotion that practically dominated the others was the anger in his voice. As the Redead leapt onto the Hero of Twilight, the Hylian Hero freed himself from its paralyzing scream and ripped it off his body. He threw it forward, causing it to slam into the crumbling remains of a building. He charged towards it and leapt on top of it, Master Sword drawn and gleaming in his hand. He plunged the blade into the Redead's heart, causing it to collapse to the ground and lie there, motionless.

The Hero of Twilight waited, glaring at the corpse before him. It took a dreadfully long time to explode, but when it did, the Hylian Hero swung his sword left and right, then began twirling it as he sheathed it. He turned back to Link.

"I hate those things," he growled.

 _I thought he looked like a monster before, but now I think I've seen the extent of his crazy…_ Link thought. _He looks more terrifying now. Good thing he's on my side…_

"Here," Link said, pulling out the Ocarina of Time from his pouch. "Let's stun them with this, shall we?"

"The Ocarina?" the Hero of Twilight asked, his voice doubtful.

Link played six notes; the beginning three—the first of which was low, the second lower, and the third the highest—were repeated to complete the song.

The Redeads immediately turned white and froze in place, unable to do anything.

The Hero of Twilight looked all around the Town, his eyes wide with confusion. He turned back to Link, obviously impressed.

"Teach me that, please!" he begged.

Link laughed and showed him the notes. The Hero of Twilight pulled out Saria's Ocarina and relayed the notes to him.

"That's called the Sun's Song," Link explained as the Redeads refroze.

"That's called a Song from the Goddesses," the Hero of Twilight corrected.

"Hmm…" Link murmured in agreement, walking out of Castle Town with his companion. He leapt over the collapsed remains of the bridge leading to the Town, only to see a strange sight.

Epona was practically flirting with a brown horse that had black socks, a black muzzle, white blaze, and a dark mane and tail. She was teasing him, nipping at his mane and prancing all around. Both horses spotted the Heroes and instantly stopped what they were doing, like children caught in the act of doing something wrong, but still in the stage of denial.

"Whose horse is that?" Link asked.

The Hero of Twilight wordlessly walked over to the brown stallion and climbed into its green saddle.

"Yours?" Link asked in bewilderment.

The Hero of Twilight nodded, pulling back on the reins and causing it to rear. He grinned with delight, looking majestic on his mount.

"What's its name?"

"Epalon. Named after my horse from back home—your horse too, I guess—and Malon. She gave him to me; I thought it only appropriate to name him after her."

Link nodded thoughtfully and pulled himself onto Epona. He turned his horse and spurred her to Kakariko Village. The Hero of Twilight followed him.

 _Death Mountain, here we come!_ Link thought.


	14. Link Chaos

**A/N: I have FINALLY come back to upload this chapter. I'm sorry if it isn't as good as some of my others. Too many jokes and stuff. Sorry... Also, there will still be some delays in my posted chapters. I cannot guarantee I will return every week. I keep going out to work on a personal project and it's absorbing so much time; I go out to do it at ten, and return for lunch, then come back to do some more and, surprisingly, it's six! So I cannot even give you an estimation of these chapter update days. Please be patient with me… I really appreciate you all reading this story, and I** _ **WILL**_ **finish it for you. Just give me time. As usual, I do not own the Legend of Zelda or Nintendo.**

 **Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Thirteen

Link Chaos

Death Mountain Trail was still as long as Link remembered it being. However, somehow it had become even more annoying since he last saw it. Instead of crawling with Tektites, it was now full of boulders. Of course, with the Hero of Twilight around, it was slightly more interesting.

The other Hero charged right up to a boulder after murdering the only Tektite in sight. His metal boots clinked as he slung his feet forward. He then crouched slightly, ready to pick a fight with the sphere.

Link, deciding that his friend was a moron and about to get himself flattened into a nice green rug, leapt beside one of the immobile boulders and watched the spectacle. He was more than surprised as the Hero of Twilight skidded back only a few feet, his metal boots dragging into the ground and stirring up dust. His friend had caught the boulder; his fingers were locked between the tightly-packed bricks. He growled, then let out a "Tssyah!" as he flexed his shoulders and spun around.

Link's eyes widened as the boulder zipped past his head and went flying down the path behind him. His mouth dropped open in surprise.

The Hero of Twilight began running over to the next boulder. He caught it too, getting knocked back only slightly. He grunted again, swinging the boulder to the side, dusting off his hands, and continuing up the path. But now his pace was slower, and he was staggering slightly. He stepped before another boulder, ready.

"What are you doing?!" Link demanded, grabbing his friend by the back of his tunic and dragging him behind an immobile boulder. "Your method's going to slow our progress significantly; it'll take us all day to ascend this mountain!"

The Hero of Twilight seemed stunned. "How do you propose we climb it then?" he asked.

"Ignoring those boulders and hiding behind these," Link said, lightly rapping his knuckles on the reddish stone before him.

The Hero of Twilight sighed, then rose to his feet and dusted himself off. He had a disappointed look on his face, as if he actually wanted to fight the boulders.

"Your method was pretty cool however," Navi said, bouncing up and down.

The Hero of Twilight wasn't sure what to make of that compliment, especially considering that it came from Navi.

"But before we go," Link began, "do you want to teach me how to throw boulders too? In case it becomes something required later on?"

The Hero of Twilight was silent for a moment, before he shrugged. He walked to the open part of the path again.

"You crouch down slightly…" he began, demonstrating how Link needed to hold himself. "Then you spread your hands so that, if the object moves to the side, you are still able to catch it." He spread his hands. "Then, hook your fingers into any available crevices and use those to help you pull it to the side!"

The boulder slammed into him, pushing him back slightly. He jammed his fingers into the holes, then swung the sphere to the left, causing it to bounce of Link's protective slab and roll down the mountain at a different angle. "Throw it where there's more space," he commanded, walking behind the slab for Link to step out and try himself.

Link marched into the open part of the path, ready to execute the technique. Unfortunately, everything went wrong the moment his fingers touched the rock. Either the Hero of Twilight weighed a hundred pounds more, or Link really needed to dig his toes into the dirt. He was thrown back instantly, as if he'd been hit by a horse.

"Haaaaaa…!" Link cried as he flew eight feet back. He grunted as his back slammed into the ground. He stared up at the blue sky above him, slightly confused, trying to process why he couldn't keep the boulder held back. He noticed the rock roll past him, barely avoiding crushing his arm. His eyes widened. He bolted to his feet and ran back to the Hero of Twilight.

"Oops…" the other Hero said. He leapt out of his metal shoes, revealing his leather ones. "I should have let you wear these. I forgot that happens…"

Link stared daggers at him, then jumped into the boots. He was determined to try this again and get it right. He tried to take a step forward, only to stumble and land on his hands and knees. He could feel the toes of the boots dig into the dirt, then slowly began to tip forward, ready to crush his legs.

"These weigh a ton!" Link declared, trying to pull his feet out of them. Unfortunately, due to their angle, he was thoroughly stuck in them. "What are they made of; stone?"

"Iron," the Hero of Twilight replied. "They're known as the Iron Boots."

"How do you walk around in these like they're nothing?!"

"Oh, they're still heavy to me. I just jump out of them when I want to run."

Link growled something indecipherable as he managed to tug one foot free. He pulled the second loose, then pouted on the ground as the Hero of Twilight retrieved his shoes and put them into the pouch on his belt. The other Hero then offered him a hand. Grudgingly, Link accepted it and was pulled to his feet.

The Hero of Twilight gave him a puzzled look, before he began to laugh. He put his left hand on his head, then moved it in the air above Link's. Still chuckling, he said, "Maybe the reason you can't wear my boots is because you're smaller than me; there's less of you to assist in carrying the weight!"

Link batted his hand away. "You're only two inches taller than me!" he protested, folding his arms.

The Hero of Twilight ceased his snickering, but his grin remained. "Yeah, but I'm only sixteen. I still have plenty of time to get taller. What about you?"

A feeling of defeat started to settle on Link. "Nineteen…" he muttered.

"Ha!" the Hero of Twilight declared. "You're past your age of growing, but I still have plenty of years. So those two inches might be another foot by the time I'm your age!"

"I need to drink more Lon Lon milk…" Link muttered. He glared at the Hero of Twilight, then spun him around and began pushing him up the mountain. "Get moving!" he snapped, forcing him up.

The Hero of Twilight laughed and began sprinting. They raced up to the top of the first hill, only for the other Hero to stop and examine a large cave. He pointed at it, asking with his eyes, _Do we go here?_

 _No,_ Link thought. He noticed the large plant growing in the mouth of the cave, and he studied it, confused. He stepped on it. _Is this a switch?_

Instantly, he was brought to the ground, dropping to his knees as the plant launched into the air. It carried him on top of it as if he weighed nothing, flying him around in a circle before bringing him in front of a Heart Piece. His eyes widened.

"Mine!" he shouted, dragging himself forward and shooting off the plant. He landed on top of the cave, then rolled into the Heart Piece. He picked it up and held it triumphantly over his head.

 _I got a Piece of Heart!_ Link thought. _Collect four pieces total to get another Heart Container! More containers mean more life energy!_ He glanced down, spotting the Hero of Twilight on the ground watching the flying plant settle back into its place. The other Hero glared at it, then knelt down and poked it. It twitched.

"Link!" Link called down at him.

The Hero of Twilight looked up, backing away from the plant.

"Catch!" Link jumped from his place, preparing to land on top of his friend. He expected the Hero of Twilight to move, because he was simply going to roll and end up safe on the ground.

Unfortunately, the other Hero actually waited for a moment in his place, like playing a game of Cucco. He reached up a split second later and caught Link, then spun and threw him at such an angle that he rolled on his side and ended up on his feet, unharmed. Link looked back at his friend, who was dusting himself off and beginning to jog up the rest of the Trail, avoiding another boulder rolling toward him.

"Wait!" Link called, sprinting to catch up. He ran alongside his friend. "How did you know how to catch and throw me like that so I wouldn't end up hurt?"

The Hero of Twilight wore a smug expression. "Ilia jumps out of trees all the time. The first time, she flattened me. Second time, I kind of learned to catch. Third time, I gave up trying to perfect my catching technique and just threw her into the water. She rolled on the ground before slipping in, but due to the trajectory of the throw, she was fine."

Link considered it. "Teach me so I can use that as a kid and make sure Saria doesn't flatten _me_!"

The Hero of Time just laughed and began to sprint, rolling for a burst of speed. He began running down the next section of the path: a small outcropping of land bordering the left half of the mountain. A tattered red flag rippled in the breeze, tied to a pole just beside the path. Link took that as a warning now; _don't proceed past this point or you'll be bashed off the mountain by some Goron._

"Link!" Link called, slowing down. "Look out!"

The Hero of Twilight skidded to a halt, then turned. "What?"

Link hesitated, his eyes urging his friend to return. He looked left and right at the path, waiting to see if the Goron would come. He didn't see any sign of trouble, so he chased his friend. "There was a…" he began, but he faded to silence. After a moment, he said, "There used to be Gorons everywhere… One of them knocked me off this cliff one time. I guess it's not here now…"

The Hero of Twilight nodded. "It _is_ surprisingly empty for Death Mountain. Come on, let's go in." He pointed to the opening he had spotted. Two stone columns were embedded in the walls. Square pieces of cloth were strung between them, with the symbol of the Goron tribe painted on them: a red upside-down triangle with three smaller triangles above it, like toes of an animal paw print. The wooden gates were pushed against the walls. All the two Heroes could see of the structure's interior was blackness.

"Let's go," Link agreed, entering the darkness with the Hero of Twilight.

As the nothingness cleared before their eyes, Link became aware of the familiar sight that was Goron City. The walls were made of carved earth, packed together so tightly he could barely scratch them with his fingernails. The room had large descents making each individual floor, causing the structure to be four stories high. To his left and right, a wide path had been built, and several entryways could be seen from where the two Heroes stood. Several wooden beams jutted out of the ground where it had been carved to make the next floor. Thick ropes were tied to the beams, suspending a dirt platform high in the air. A tombstone-shaped object of dirt rose out of the platform, and the Goron symbol was pressed into it.

On the next level of floor, Link could see railing bordering the path. A small Goron rolled around it like it was a race track. Below that, a doorway led to some stairs that would allow him to ascend or descend to the next floor. The final floor was made of dirt or clay bricks; he wasn't exactly sure. It was barren, probably because he blew up the enormous spinning pot that used to be in the center. He spied another doorway, but it was closed off. A stone door covered in red markings sealed the entrance, but that was alright; all Link would have to do was jump down and play Zelda's Lullaby and it would open. However, disturbingly, the shop door beside it was sealed as well. The Bomb Flowers growing out of the wall beside it gleamed in the light.

The Hero of Twilight whistled as he took a step forward. "Wow, Death Mountain sure changed. I can't believe it lost so many floors!"

Link gave him a confused stare. "It had more floors?"

The Hero of Twilight stopped in his tracks. He looked down at the drop below him, then changed the subject by asking, "Where are all the Gorons?"

Link's eyes widened. He looked to his left and right, trying to spot his friends. His eyes passed over the walls, stairs, and doorways. He didn't see them.

"They used to be right around here…" Link affirmed, taking a step forward. "One here…" He pointed to the ground to his left, right next to the ledge. "One there…" He pointed at the stairs on the level below them. "One the…" he trailed off.

"We should probably go to our marathon roller down there," the Hero of Twilight said, indicating the little Goron racing around.

"I suppose," Link agreed, jumping down to the next floor. He hit the ground and rolled, watching the Goron fly around the path, heading for him.

The Hero of Twilight leapt down as well, then walked a short distance away from Link to examine the staircase that led to the floor below them.

Link ignored his companion, then waved and called out to the Goron, "Hey!"

"Nice vocabulary, Link," Navi said sarcastically.

"Thanks. I learned from the best," he muttered.

"You forgot 'Listen'."

"That's because I'm too busy watching out."

"Hello, look around you."

Link hesitated. "You stole two. Not fair."

"Look!" Navi shouted.

Link obeyed, turning his attention onto what was before him and disregarding his fairy companion. He had three seconds to comprehend what was happening.

The Goron slammed into him. The rocks on its spine dug into his arms, drawing blood and ripping through the thin white fabric that accentuated his muscles.

"Haaaa!" Link cried as he went flying back. "Ungh!" His back scraped across the packed earth, and he skidded over the coarse surface. His eyes widened as the Goron went flying past him, not even stopping to consider him. Link frowned and got up, dusting himself off as his outfit began to magically repair itself. He watched with a scowl as the Goron hurtled around the floor, out of control and unable to be reasoned with.

"Should've listened," Navi said, bouncing up and down for emphasis.

"Should've silenced yourself," Link muttered in irritation under his breath. He saw the Hero of Twilight standing in the path of the reckless Goron. The Hylian Hero was crouched slightly, his hands ready to catch the rock man. His Iron Boots glinted wickedly in the lighting.

The Goron hurtled toward the Hero of Twilight and knocked him back slightly. The Iron Boots kept him from sliding back too far. They dug into the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.

"Tsseh!" The Hero of Twilight spun around, fingers locked into the Goron's stony back. He released the rock man, watching with a scowl as the little boulder rolled away. The Goron continued his speeding as if he hadn't been disturbed.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Link asked, walking over.

"He was moving too fast," the Hero of Twilight commented, glaring disdainfully at his fingers. "Had I not released him, he would have ripped my fingers off." He looked at Link. "We could always search this place and look for someone else who would be willing tell us where the rest of the Gorons are."

Link grinned. "We could ask Darunia."

"Who?"

Link pointed to the sealed door on bottom level of Goron City. "Follow me!" He leapt down to the next floor, then rolled and jumped down to the next one, leaving a stunned Hero of Twilight standing on the second highest floor. With a sigh, the Hylian Hero also leapt off the path, then soared through the air, heading straight for the lowest level instead of taking each individual path. He slammed into the ground and rolled, before he shot to his feet to join Link at the door.

Link pulled the Ocarina of Time from his belt and hesitated. Why couldn't he picture a musical score? He always could when he needed to play the Ocarina. Shrugging off his unease, he began to rattle off the familiar melody of Zelda's Lullaby, the notes drifting through the empty air.

The door remained closed before him. He did not hear the sound of turning gears as before, nor the scraping of stone on packed earth. The door was still fixed in place.

 _I did not incorrectly play the melody,_ Link thought, touching his fingers to the dry red paint. _So why won't it budge?_ He began to play the song again. _Perhaps I wasn't close enough._

He still could not imagine the musical score, so he put his Ocarina down and stepped closer. Once more, he brought the Ocarina to his lips and played the first three notes.

Horrifyingly, he heard the Hero of Twilight behind him humming along. Link narrowed his eyes as he played the second segment of the song.

"Hm, hmm hmmm," the Hylian Hero echoed.

Link removed the Ocarina from his mouth and pinched his eyebrows together with his right hand, gripping the blue instrument in his left. "Link…what are you doing?"

"Harmonizing. I've nothing better to do."

"Why not play my Ocarina?"

"You drooled on it."

"Never stopped you before!" Link said. He pointed to the door. "It won't open because your singing is terrible!"

"Three comments: I still didn't like your drool on it; it never opened _before_ I started harmonizing; and it's not singing…it's humming."

Link sighed. "Very well then. Why don't you play the melody yourself?"

The Hero of Twilight took out Saria's Ocarina from the pouch on his belt and began to copy the lullaby. His pitch was slightly higher, with more of an echo. Link finally understood why.

"You play it like you sing!" he declared.

The final note was distorted by the Hero of Twilight's snort. "Are you implicating that I am not a worthy instrumentalist?"

Link would have denied that accusation if an idea hadn't sparked within him. He grinned smugly.

"Yes."

The Hero of Twilight put away the Ocarina and turned to the door. He pressed his hands to it, scowling, then flexed his shoulders. The door groaned, trying to budge, but it was bound in place by magic that prevented it from moving.

The Hero of Twilight released the red and trudged off in the direction of the stairs. "We're separating. Whoever finds the Gorons first is the better instrumentalist!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Navi asked.

"You are so on!" Link declared.

Navi sighed as the Hero of Twilight sprinted up the stairs and began ducking down every doorway he encountered. "Link…" she murmured.

Link snorted and held out his hand. "I'm not entirely bothered. It's a competition so we work faster and more productively. It's a game."

Navi fluttered over to him, landing on his gauntlet and staring at him. "Your whole life is a game…" she sighed.

Link chuckled. "Well, if we convinced Link into thinking that he needs to race me, we may find the Gorons significantly quicker than if we weren't competing.

"FOUND ONE!" they heard. Both looked up.

"Brilliant strategy…" Navi muttered, but she sounded impressed.

Link grinned as he searched the floors for his friend. "I love his enthusiasm."

"Get moving before he wins the whole competition."

"SHOULD I OR SHOULD I NOT BUY A SWORD?!" the Hero of Twilight called.

"Aww, he still asks for your opinion on things…" Navi said.

"HOW MUCH IS IT?" Link called back.

"TWO HUNDRED RUPEES!"

"LEAVE IT!"

"WHY? I'M RICH!"

Link sighed. "ARE WE HERE TO BUY SWORDS OR FIND GORONS?!" He spotted the Hero of Twilight walking out of an entryway near the little Goron rolling around at breakneck speeds. The Hylian Hero looked disappointed, like a child told to put something back at the bazaar.

"He only tells me about swords. He doesn't say anything else," the Hero of Twilight told Link, then walked off down another pathway.

"Time to seek out another Goron then," Navi said. She flew at Link's head, urging him on. Link brushed her aside and began to walk up the stairs. He began to sprint, heading for the top floor. Like cleaning, he would need to start from the top and work his way down. He ignored the speedy Goron and ascended to the highest floor.

"Hey, a Skulltula," Navi noted as Link walked over to a doorway on the left section of the path.

Link looked back and saw Navi turn green and zip over to a Gold Skulltula. It was holding onto the back of the tombstone-shaped dirt that rose from the suspended platform. With a sigh, Link began to walk across the rope, carefully making sure that he didn't slip off. It groaned beneath him and created a dip as he stood in the center of the cord. He glared at it, but then focused on the Skulltula and pulled out his Hookshot.

Link squeezed the handle, causing the hook and chain to launch out from the weapon. The hook hit the Gold Skulltula and killed it instantly. It curled into a ball and exploded on the wall, leaving only a token. Link fired at that too, seizing it and carrying it off with him as he carefully walked back across the rope. He trudged back to the entryway he had been originally headed for, then entered it, disregarding the tattered cloth squares that were tied together above it.

The first thing Link saw in his new location was the massive collection of boulders before him. They completely covered the entirety of the floor. Some were cream, others were silver, and still others were red. They were locked together, so close not even a Poe could squeeze through.

"Hello?" Link called.

No response. No one was there. That was good; now he wouldn't have to blow up the boulders and waste all his bombs.

"Not this way, I suppose," Link said, alerting Navi that he was going to be walking out. His fairy understood such and followed him out, then led the way for him as he walked back into the rest of Goron City.

 _Where in Hyrule are those Gorons?_ Link wondered as he walked close to the edge and peered down, watching with a look of boredom on his face as the little Goron sped by, completely unfazed by his presence.

"Wolfos!" Navi declared, shaking Link out of his thoughts. He flinched and looked around.

"Where?" he asked.

Navi tried to indicate where she had seen the monster, but she was unable to. Now, she herself seemed confused. She looked left and right, zipping through the air. She didn't seem to know which tunnel the beast had walked into, nor which one he had come out.

"I…I don't see him anymore…" Navi said.

Link frowned. "We should alert Link that there's monsters on the prowl. Perhaps this could explain the reason for the Goron's disappearance." He cupped his hands around his mouth, then shouted, "HEY, LINK!"

Disturbingly, he was met with silence. His eyes widened. Wordlessly, he sprinted forward and leapt off the top floor.

"Link!" Navi called, but her focus was not on searching for the Hero of Twilight. Instead, she was concerned for her hopeless Hylian. "Look where you leap!"

"Aaaaah…! Kai! Tch…" Link picked himself off the floor of the lowest level, glaring at the ground. His ankles throbbed. He could hear a change in the beating of his Heart Containers. He'd lost some health.

"Aww, and I thought I was finally able to go save the world with the other Link," Navi mocked.

Link brushed himself off. "He'd kill you. He thinks you're annoying."

"I'm a fairy; I'm immortal. He can't kill me. He's stuck with me until _he_ dies."

"So you think you can out-ghost _us_?" Link laughed. "I distinctly remember you telling us to drop this conversation and continue our quest. And now you're bringing it up?"

"Get a move on, fairy boy!"

Link laughed again, then sprinted back up the stairs to the next floor. That was when he saw it; the Wolfos. Or, at least, it looked like a Wolfos.

The beast was strange, that was for sure. He stood on all fours, and wasn't hunched over like a typical Wolfos. The fur on his neck was thicker than that on his legs, and his tail was longer than it should have been. He had four colors in his fur: black, white, brown, and cream. His fangs did not jut awkwardly from his mouth, nor did he drool uncontrollably. His ears fit his skull, and his eyes did not glow.

However, he did have a commanding air about him. His blue eyes were proud and fierce, and he held himself as if he had just walked out from a fight unscathed. His ears flicked toward Link, attentive, the beast's ring-shaped piercings gleaming. His tail swished from side to side, and he sighed deeply.

Link's eyes widened and he drew his sword and shield. The Wolfos's eyes also widened. It leapt back and growled, fur bristling, then barked. Link heard a strange, distorted voice call, "What; does he intend to kill us?"

The Wolfos barked again.

"Feh, this isn't _my_ fault. It's called _exploration for Hyrule's preservation_ ," the voice replied.

Link stepped back, surprised, as he saw a figure materialize on the Wolfos's back. He wasn't sure what to make of it.

It wore a mask that covered its left eye and held up its orange, hand-like hair in a ponytail clasped by stone. The creature's right red eye glared at him, seemingly even more menacing with the black skin that surrounded it. Everything on the creature's face beneath its nose and eyes was pale blue. Its black ears were spanned by cyan markings, as were its obsidian spiked arms. Its left leg was also pale blue, covered with more markings, but the inside of its leg was black. Only a small set of cyan markings existed on its ankle; the rest of its right leg was black. The creature grinned, revealing one pointed canine amidst the other straight, dull teeth.

"What in Hyrule are you?!" Link demanded, despite not meaning to let those words slip. He stepped back as the Wolfos lowered on its haunches and bared its fangs.

"Yes, let's just scare him off…" the creature said from the Wolfos's back, its jumbled feminine voice echoing pleasantly, but disturbingly.

 _Where have I heard that before?_ Link wondered.

The creature yawned and stretched, then flipped around on the Wolfos's back and laid down. "Sounds brilliant…but you forget one thing…"

Link steeled his nerves and then leapt forward at astounding speed, his sword coming crashing down to the ground as he tried to split the beast in half.

"He has a sword," the creature affirmed as the Wolfos shot back, avoiding the blade. The beast barked menacingly, then spun around, the thick chain on its left paw clinking as it thundered down the path. Its paws skittered on the ground as it slid across the dirt, trying to gain traction so it could race away. It launched itself up the stairs and disappeared.

"Get it!" Navi commanded.

Link pursued it up the flight of stairs. He made a sharp left turn, only to slam into another person. He was knocked back, and promptly tumbled down the stairs, rolling to absorb the impact. He rose to his feet, glaring.

"Did you see that thing?" the Hero of Twilight demanded before him. He looked behind him at the stairs. "That wolf almost killed me in its haste trying to get past!"

Link hesitated. He was helped to his feet by the Hero of Twilight, and the two began to race up the stairs again, trying to find the beast. Link asked questions as he ran.

"Why didn't you attack it?!"

"I barely saw it before it whacked into me and thundered up those steps!" the Hero of Twilight replied defensively.

"It's so fast…not like any Wolfos I've ever seen…" Navi panted, zipping through the air right behind the Hero of Twilight, allowing him to lead the way.

"Wait, you called it something else…" Link said suspiciously as he scampered up the final flight of stairs.

"A wolf?" the Hero of Twilight asked. "Yes, they exist where I come from. They're smaller and resemble dogs, rather than people. It's not a monster…just a mangy beast."

Link skidded to a halt. "Do they carry monsters?"

"When they don't travel in packs, they tend to walk alone, but it's not uncommon to see one with a strange bestial companion. There's one that always plagues the streets of the plaza. He terrorizes people. No one has been able to catch him yet because the soldiers are all timid and useless."

Link nodded thoughtfully. "Does he attack people?"

"He growls, but he's docile as far as I can tell," the Hero of Twilight replied. "In fact, every wolf I've ever seen has disregarded people."

"Then why are we chasing this one?" Link spun around and walked back to the edge of the top floor. "We have to find those Gorons! If that beast is docile, then there's no need to pursue him!"

"As far as I can tell, there are none."

That made Link stop what he was doing. He whirled around to face the Hero of Twilight. "What do you mean?"

"I've searched this entire place. I could find no evidence of them anywhere. I walked into the Lost Woods and did some digging around, but they didn't flee there. There's another behind a locked door, but I cannot get to him. The only Goron that remains, besides the swordsmith and the one behind the sealed door…" He pointed to the little Goron still racing around the track. "…is that little fellow right there!"

Link frowned. He sighed, then motioned for the Hero of Twilight to follow him.

"I know how we'll interrogate him. It worked on the others…it will work on him as well. Come, let us depart." He jumped down to the Goron, a look of determination evident on his face. From his pouch, he drew a bomb and lit the fuse, throwing it at the Goron.

The Goron raced past him, narrowly avoiding the explosion. He plowed along as if the outburst hadn't occurred at all.

"What are you doing?" the Hero of Twilight asked, leaping down and joining him.

"We're going to stop him…by force!" Link placed a bomb in his fellow Hero's hands.

The Hero of Twilight held it for a moment, giving Link a curious look. "What am I…?"

"Throw it!" Navi commanded.

The bomb flashed red-hot in the Hero of Twilight's hands. His eyes widened and he tossed it forward, watching it explode brilliantly midair.

"Here's an idea for you…" Navi began. "Why don't you trap him in that cave over there?" She indicated the carved earthen wall across from them with her tiny body. "And then one of you places a bomb at one entrance, and the other places a different bomb at the other entrance, and he'll be forced to run into one or the other."

Both Links were silent until the Hero of Twilight said, "I can see why she's your guide."

"Yes; she does all my thinking for me," Link joked.

"And it's very evident," Navi agreed.

"I think your fairy trumps us both in insults," the Hero of Twilight muttered. His eyes widened as the Goron drew near them. He stepped forward and equipped the Iron Boots. He caught it again, throwing it behind them and dusting his hands, returning to the conversation as if nothing had happened. "Regardless, I guess we better head him off?"

Link glanced up and watched the Goron hurtle toward the cave. He sighed and began sprinting toward the yawning entrance.

The Hero of Twilight ran over to the other opening and threw a bomb into it, but it didn't look anything like what Link was used to. Instead of resembling a flower, it looked more like an explosive that had been wrapped in metal.

The Goron skidded past the bomb and continued heading toward Link. However, it finally seemed to notice that Link was a potential threat, because it spun around before it reached him and sped toward the Hero of Twilight.

"This seems mean…" the Hero of Twilight said, loud enough for Link to hear. He lit the fuse of a bomb and threw it at the Goron.

"Nonsense," Link replied, throwing his own lit bomb. Now the Goron had nowhere to go; he would have to be struck with one or the other. "It's a tactical strategy."

"Admit it, you just like explosives more than I do."

As if to answer the Hero of Twilight's question, the pair's bombs exploded. Link grinned. He watched the dust rain from the roof in response, covering the entrance of the cave.

"How could you do this to me?" the little Goron called as the debris settled. "You, you're Ganondorf's servant!"

"Ouch!" the Hero of Twilight yelled to Link.

"I know!" Link agreed. "Being associated with someone like him: what a disgrace!"

"Hear my name and tremble!" the little Goron declared, gaining both Heroes' attention.

"Trembling," the Hero of Twilight muttered, walking over to join his Link in their crime of blowing up innocent civilians.

"I am _Link_! Hero of the Gorons!" the little Goron declared.

The Hero of Twilight gave him a confused look. He then began laughing. "Trembling! My name is so terrifying that I shake every time I'm called!"

"Every time!" Link agreed.

 _This adventure is dragging on so long that I'm beginning to make jokes more often. I'd better be careful or I'll end up as secretive as Link…_ Link thought. He approached the Goron and placed his hand on his rocky shoulder, causing it to look up. "Listen little buddy, _my_ name's Link. Darunia calls _me_ the Hero of the Gorons!"

The Goron stood up. His body was made of polished stone, and his arms were slightly longer than that of a human's. On his left shoulder was the mark of the Gorons, and he wore no clothes. His head was as big as Link's chest, and he had some jagged rocks growing on top of it, as well as beneath his lower lip, like hair. His eyes were large and purple, and they had no pupils. On his back, more rough rocks sprouted, providing him with the perfect weapon if he needed to fight.

"What?" Link the Goron asked. "Your name is also Link?"

Link pointed to the Hero of Twilight. "He's also named Link."

The Goron looked between them, but turned back to the Hero of Time and said, "Then you must be the legendary Dodongo Buster and Hero, Link!"

Link nodded. "Yes."

"My dad is Darunia… Do you remember him?"

"Yes."

"Dad named me Link after you, because you're so brave!"

The Hero of Twilight snorted. "Should see him in dungeons."

Navi fluttered out of hiding and pounced on the other Hero, landing on his head. "You should see yourself!" she hissed.

The Hero of Twilight brushed her off him. "You should see you!"

"I know; gorgeous aren't I?"

"You've been associating with Midna, haven't you?"

"Who?"

"It's a cool name! I really like it!" Link the Goron said, still talking to the Hero of Time. "Link, you're a hero to us Gorons! I'm so glad to meet you! Please give me your autograph! Sign it: 'To my friend, Link of the Gorons'."

"I'd love to," Link began, ignoring his companions. "But…"

"Oh…" Link the Goron said. "I guess it's not a good time to ask you for this… Please help everyone!"

"Everyone's a bit much," the Hero of Twilight muttered, trying to get Navi to stop pestering about Midna.

"I'll do what I can!" Link assured the Goron.

"My dad, Darunia, went to the Fire Temple. A dragon is inside! If we don't hurry up, even my dad will be eaten by the dragon! B-b-b-boooo hooooo!"

"You'd better try to calm him down if you can…" Navi said, flying over to Link. She had lost interest in the Hero of Twilight "Maybe he will calm down if you talk to him?"

"Can you tell us about the Gorons?" the Hero of Twilight asked, as Link simultaneously asked, "Can you tell us about the dragon?"

"A long time ago there was an evil dragon named Volvagia living in this mountain," Link the Goron began, still sobbing. "That dragon was very scary! He ate Gorons! Using a huge hammer, the hero of the Gorons… BOOOM! Destroyed it just like that. This is a myth from long ago, but it's true! I know because my dad is a descendant of the hero!" He began sobbing again, but he managed to compose himself to answer the Hero of Twilight's question.

"Everybody was taken to the Fire Temple… While my dad was out, Ganondorf's followers came and took them all away! All of them will be eaten by Volvagia! Dad said that Ganondorf has revived Volvagia… As a warning to those who might oppose him, Ganondorf is going to feed them all to Volvagia!"

"That scoundrel…" the Hero of Twilight muttered, encouraging Link the Goron to proceed.

"Dad went to the Fire Temple all by himself to try to save everyone… Please help, Link! I'll give you this heat-resistant tunic!" He approached the Hero of Time and handed him a red tunic, which Link gratefully accepted and held over his head, delighted.

 _I got a Goron Tunic! This heat-resistant tunic is adult-sized, so it won't fit me when I'm a kid… But if I'm going to a hot place, no need to worry!_

Link heard the grinding of gears and scraping of stone against rough earth, which brought him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the bottom floor and spotted the two sealed doors, which were rising into the roof or sliding into the wall.

 _Is that why they wouldn't open when I played Zelda's Lullaby?_ Link wondered.

"Dad told me not to let anybody follow him to the temple but…" Link the Goron trailed off. "Only you, Link, can save everyone! I'm sure that shop owner, who is hiding somewhere right now, will also help you! Now, I'll tell you about the secret passage to the Fire Temple! Try to move the statue in Dad's room!"

"But not you, Link," Navi said. "Only Link, but not you, Link." She dive-bombed the Hero of Twilight and knocked his hat onto the ground.

The Hero of Twilight sighed, fetching his hat from the ground and returning it to his head. "What was that for?"

"I just wanted to make sure that your fairy didn't live in your dandruff," Navi said.

"What fairy?!" the Hylian Hero demanded.

"Midna…"

"Midna's the imp who rides around on the wolf from back home!" The Hero of Twilight spun hotly on his heels and charged the protective fence, then launched himself over it and landed on the bottom floor, walking into Darunia's room and leaving Link behind.

Link sighed. "Really, Navi?" He politely excused himself from the Goron and jumped down to the bottom floor as well.

"I'm just using your strategy; make him mad so he becomes more useful. Did you see his face and hear his words? He was so bored he was making jokes every few seconds!"

Link considered it. "Regardless, he's going to leave us behind. Come on, let's catch up to him!" He dashed up the stairs into Darunia's room, sprinting across the carpet and disregarding the symbols on the walls, as well as the tattered pieces of cream-colored cloth strung from the ceiling. He spotted the statue that Link the Goron had been talking about: it was a short, fat Goron with an oversized head. It had been pulled away from the tribally-marked walls, showing him the path that would lead him to the Gorons.

The last thing he heard was the crackling torch from Darunia's right wall before he descended into the hot darkness, vanishing from the sight of all who might be watching him.

. . . . .

 **A/N: Okay so I actually can't zero in on any specific age for OoT Link. Some places say he's 19, others say 15-16, and somewhere I heard he was 20. So, I'm going by WW standards and saying that Young Link is 12 (since it's claimed that WW Link is the same age as the Hero of Legend), which makes Adult Link 19. Because of the disagreements of the age, I'm going to ask you to please not yell at me for "getting it wrong" if I have. But you have to understand that there really is no way for me to "get it right" either…**

 ***edit* Thanks to Mirria1 for telling me he's actually 17, but I've decided that for *artistic reasons* I'm going to say he's 19 anyway. So, even if he's officially 17, I didn't know that at the time, and to continue enjoying the fanfiction how I've written it, he'll be 19 here. We'll call it a "creative deviation".**


	15. The Instrumentalists and the Singer

**A/N: Hello! To the people who wrote reviews, thank you for taking the time in doing so. And thank you all for reading! Also, I went and read through some of the content within this fanfic and I spotted some mistakes. Oops. I correct them if they're extremely noticeable, but please be patient with me if you see them. I still screw up every now and again in this. But anyway, as usual, I do not own Nintendo or The Legend of Zelda.**

 **Twilight Princess Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Fourteen

The Instrumentalists and the Singer

"I believe he thinks I'm angry," Link said, walking into the mountain. To his left and right were some clay pots he smashed. He found health and Rupees, of which he was appreciative. A sign pointed him back in the direction from which he'd come, marked with Old Hylian he couldn't read. He guessed it said something like, "Go this way if you're lost." But why would someone get lost down here anyway? Was that even possible? Did these Gorons not know the path very well?

Link rested against a grey boulder and stared at the entirety of the volcano from his place on the left path. His face, hair, and clothes, as well as the surface of the boulder he leaned on, were washed in the red light of the lava. His eyes were fixed on the broken bridge before him.

Two wooden poles rose out of the ground, and a snapped line of wooden planks lay on the searing floor before tumbling down to the world below. A wooden beam jutted out from a large hill within the volcano, just above what remained of the other half of the unstable bridge. If Link had the Hero of Time's Hookshot, he could probably get across. But he didn't, and he wasn't going to explore without his companion.

"Well, at least we're out of _that_ situation, huh, Midna?" Link asked. He climbed on top of the boulder and sat there, still staring at the remains of the bridge.

From out of his shadow rose his impish friend. As she appeared, she began to become more solid. Her red eye seemed even more piercing, bathed in the crimson glow that surrounded them. Midna floated behind Link and rested her elbows on his shoulder.

"I didn't mean to get you in that situation, Link," she said. "I transformed you into a wolf so you could smell those Gorons out. It was fortunate for us that the other Link believed you were really competitive, because it meant we could walk away like that and follow a scent trail. I'm impressed that you could walk across that tightrope without making any noise, and tracking down the Gorons using a seven-year-old scent is rather interesting."

"The tombstone-shaped dirt had a different aroma…" Link said. He glanced to his right, waiting for the Hero of Time, who still had yet to appear. "It smelled special. However, the Gorons have a _similar_ scent, and theirs was masking everything else. The only challenge was distinguishing the strongest, freshest scent from all the others."

Midna was silent for a moment before she said, "But even I wasn't expecting that intricate lie from you. 'He almost killed me trying to get past'?" She poked Link's cheek. "I'm leaving you in charge of my governmental affairs because you're so clever with your lies."

Link laughed. "What governmental affairs? You aren't royalty, Midna…" He grinned teasingly. "Or are you?"

Midna looked up at the sky far above them, watching the reddish-pink clouds drift by on the violet heavens. She had her devilish smile, which meant she was thinking something devious.

To Link's surprise, Midna grabbed her hair-hand and lifted it up, pointing it at the sky but not making it look like an arm. She released her hair, but it remained where it was. She covered her red eye with her right hand.

"Fear me, pathetic Hylian!" she commanded. She jumped onto his head, then pointed forward with her left hand. "I am Zant! I will rule all of Hyrule! This is my volcano. That's my broken pottery fragment." She leapt off him and hovered in the air right before him, causing him to slip back off his boulder in an attempt to distance himself from her.

"Nngh!" Link's back hit the ground while his feet remained on the hot boulder. Midna floated above him.

"And that's my boulder…" she said, grinning even more broadly. She suddenly dropped from the air and landed on Link's stomach, dragging him completely down to the ground. He felt like she had dropped a boulder on _him_.

"Mi—" Link began, but she put her tiny cyan fingers to his lips, silencing him.

"And you're my Hylian."

Link said nothing. He was too stunned. He remained there, wide-eyed and unsure.

Midna was still smiling, her pointed tooth resting on her bottom lip. Then, her expression changed. She looked beyond Link, staring at the wall. He'd seen her do this before. She was listening.

For better or worse, Midna frowned and leaned sideways, sliding off Link and landing in his shadow, disappearing from sight.

Link stood up and brushed himself off, just in time to hear, "Hey!" He looked up, spotting the distinctive blue orb following a figure.

The Hero of Time walked over to him. He looked exhausted. His eyes were drooping, his face was beaded with sweat, and he was almost panting. Link wasn't certain if the Hero of Time's frown could become any more pronounced.

"It's so hot…" he whispered, almost breathlessly.

Navi dive-bombed her Hero to get his attention.

"Put your tunic on!" she commanded.

"But Link doesn't…" was all he managed to say before he grumbled and began digging through his inventory. He pulled out his red tunic and tore off his green one, flinging it on the ground in disregard. He threw his red one on and put his leather belts on over it.

Navi sighed. "Honestly…"

Link nodded wordlessly.

"Okay, fine," the Hero of Time said as he patted some wrinkles out of his red tunic. "It is very nice in here. It's as if I'm not in a volcano at all!"

Navi bounced up and down energetically, then turned to Link. "How come you aren't hot?"

Link gestured at the red lava bubbling in the bottom of the volcano. "I've been in hotter."

The Hero of Time walked over to him and touched his cheek, then whistled. "You're hotter than…" he trailed off. He touched the boulder beside them, then continued with, "You're hotter than this boulder!"

Link poked the boulder, than touched his own cheek. "I don't feel any different."

Navi landed on his hat. "Go back there and get yourself a tunic! Link the Goron did say the shopkeeper might help us. See if he has a red tunic for you!"

"But I do not feel excessively warm!" Link protested.

"If Link—" Navi gestured to her Hero "—had to put on a tunic, so do you! Now get moving, or I'll escort you there!"

Link sighed. "I suppose." He turned and began heading for the entrance he'd come from, waving the Hero of Time away. "Carry on without me. I'll rejoin you later."

The Hero of Time didn't look happy about it, but he turned to face the bridge. He hefted his Hookshot, ready to cross the churning lake of lava.

Link walked out, returning to the room he had moved the statue in.

"Kill-joys…" Midna muttered from Link's shadow as he walked across the tattered carpet.

Link rubbed his arms. "The temperature seems cool after departing the volcano."

"It's a difference of eighty to two-hundred, isn't it? Truthfully, they are correct; you do need a magic tunic to protect you from that intense heat. Otherwise, you will end up dead."

Link tugged on the front of his tunic, causing his chainmail beneath it to clink. "It was modified," he said. "Enhanced to tolerate heat. Perhaps the Hero before me discovered the Goron's Tunic and decided to create a better Hero's Tunic for himself."

"Perhaps…" Midna agreed as Link ambled into the shop. The store was made of ash-colored dirt: walls, floor, and ceiling. Grass grew out of some sections of it, but it was yellowing. How it even sprouted there at all was beyond Link. Weeds would be weeds.

Several clusters of sticks were tied together, lining the walls. Two stone shelves braced the back wall, filled with merchandise Link didn't particularly need or want. Two hearts were visible on the left top shelf. Some potion was on the left side of the bottom shelf, and a red Goron Tunic was beside it. All four slots on the right shelf were occupied by bombs. Behind the counter—which was situated between the right and left shelves—sat a single Goron.

"Welcome!" the Goron said as Link drew near. "Which of my wares would you like to purchase? Or are you just here to talk?"

Link pointed to the Goron Tunic. "How much is the tunic?"

"Three hundred Rupees."

 _That is very expensive. However, I have five hundred and sixty-seven. I think I'm good. Besides, Link and Navi won't let me in there without the Tunic._

"I'll take it," Link said, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out the necessary amount of money.

The Goron accepted his precious stones and handed Link the red Tunic.

 _I got a Goron Tunic!_ Link thought, holding it in his hands and examining it. _This adult-sized tunic is fire-resistant, and adds extra resistance to lava. If I'm going to a hot place, then I'd better wear this._

Link thanked the shopkeeper and walked out, his wallet significantly lighter. He removed his belts and weaponry, then put on the red tunic. Retrieving his equipment, he walked back into Death Mountain Crater. The heat still came at him like a vicious attacker, but it was slightly less ferocious.

Link approached the broken bridge. He still had no items he could use to get across it.

"Midna," Link called.

The Twili rose out of his shadow. She did not solidify, but instead remained a dark figure. "What is it, Link?"

"Transform into wolf."

Link's body instantly became that of a beast. He stood up and shook himself, only for Midna to materialize in the air above him and land with a thud on his back. He coughed, glared at her for a fleeting second, and turned back to the bridge.

Midna looked up at the bridge, then floated over to the beam jutting from the wall. She turned around as she hovered over it, waving that hair-hand of hers and beckoning him forward.

Lowering on his haunches, Link glared at her hair, focusing on her fingers. He just needed to jump forward and grab them, and everything would be alright.

He broke concentration when he heard the most dreaded and awful sound. He had been listening to the distorted whispers of the wind, or what he believed was distorted whispers, and he thought they had been making some words. He'd heard something about growing friendship and some blossoming thing…and something about a song.

But what he was hearing now was the most dreaded and awful thing in his entire life. In fact, it even seemed to affect Midna. She sat down on the wooden beam, her hair falling back to her shoulders. She pressed her fingers to her ears and muttered in her Twilit language, "Someone kill it…!"

Link cringed and covered his ears. "Gah, make it stop!"

The harp, which had preceded the dreadfulness they were now hearing, had been delightful. The notes were slightly repetitive, starting off low, then becoming lower, then repeating the first to notes, before raising in pitch and repeating the second note, then repeating those two notes.

However, the new notes were being played by the distinctive Ocarina of Time. The first four were correct, but then the melody was messed up, sounding something like what Link imagined a hoard of cats would sound like if he started using them as musical instruments.

His claws dug into his thick fur, his dewclaws carving lines into his white markings. "Goodness…"

The song progressively worsened. Now, none of the notes were right. The harpist, Sheik, played the melody again, but it still didn't seem to sound any better on the Ocarina.

Link sighed heavily through his nose, then raised to a sitting position. He threw his head back and began to howl the melody, trying to get it out of his ears. At the moment, he honestly didn't care if the Hero of Time could hear him; he wanted the terrible Ocarina playing to stop.

Fortunately, it did. Both the harpist and the Ocarina-player were silent, listening to Link howling the melody to them.

"Thank you…" Midna whispered, "…for making him stop." She gestured Link forward with her hair-hand again, and he wasted no time leaping forward and jumping toward her. Midna disappeared as Link landed where she once stood. He jumped off the beam, landing on the bridge, which clacked beneath him. Midna landed on his back, but he was used to her extra weight. He trotted forward, only to see both Sheik and the Hero of Time standing on that section of the bridge.

The Hylian Hero and the Sheikah stared at him, dumbfounded. Sheik seemed to be considering whether or not blinding the wolf would be necessary.

Link carefully weaved his way past both figures and trotted away, Midna waving farewell to the two stunned instrumentalists.

"Link…" Sheik began, but his eyes were on the wolf and the imp. "I'll see you again…" He turned back to the Hero of Time and backed up. A wall of fire erupted between them, and Sheik backed up even more. He threw his Deku Nut, as usual, and mysteriously vanished from the volcano.

The Hero of Time looked around, trying to find where the Sheikah had disappeared to, but all he saw was the wolf and the imp.

Link, seeing that the Hero of Time was now glaring at him, picked up his pace and skittered past the hexagon-shaped dais on the floor that was marked with the Triforce and the symbol of fire. He scampered across the natural dirt bridge that spanned the lava, disregarding the rocks that were lined up perfectly on the left and right side. A fleeting thought crossed his mind as he stepped onto the uneven rocky floor.

 _Maybe while Sheik was waiting for Link, he lined those rocks up._

Link chased the thoughts out of his head as he leapt forward, dashing between the tall ornate columns that were colored like red amber because of the light. His claws clicked as he raced across the hot bricks. All around him, stone faces carved into the walls leered. Before him, bricks lined a hole that led to Hyrule-knows-where. He peered down at it, seeing more bricks beneath him. So, it wouldn't take him to Hyrule's netherworld, which was nice. The only question was whether or not he could transform back into a human to climb down.

Link's ears involuntarily flicked back, due to the sound of footsteps thudding across brick. He glanced back and spotted the Hero of Time quickly running toward him. Deciding that he wasn't going to be caught by his Hylian companion, Link leapt down into the hole.

"AROOOOO! Krough!" He slammed into the ground, his legs feeling weak beneath him. His paws and joints throbbed painfully. He stood up and shook his head from side to side, then turned and limped into the yellow brick doorway, heading for a room he could see before him. He braced himself against the wall, his shoulder pinned against it for support.

"Midna…transform into human…" he panted.

His body turned black, and he rose to his feet, still leaning against the wall. He sighed and looked at the room, trying to gain his bearings. A staircase led to several lit braziers encased in the mouths of stone statue faces. A door stood off to the left side of the staircase, and a statue with another face on top of it decorated the right side of the stairs. The thick "rails" that bordered the stairs were marked with religious-looking designs. The walls were made of carved stone, and the ceiling was assisted by support columns. Link could see two doors on opposing walls on top of the stairs.

"HWAAAAAAH!" he heard behind him. "Kai…tch…!"

"Look where you leap!" Navi shouted.

"NO! I leap where I want to leap!" the Hero of Time complained.

"When you break your legs…" Navi stopped; she had heard the sound of the door closing as Link entered the left room at the top of the stairs.

Link, having left the other two behind, turned to see what was in front of him, only to spot a Goron standing in front of a chained door at the far end of the room. He stepped forward to get a better look.

The Goron was built more muscularly than all the others Link had encountered in past-day Hyrule. White paint dotted the corners of his eyes, either like tears or warrior marks, Link wasn't sure. The spike-shaped rocks that formed his hair and beard seemed dangerous enough to impale someone. On his shoulders, the mark of the Gorons had been painted. Black ropes were tied around his wrists and ankles, like jewelry.

"Who's there?" the Goron called. His purple eyes glared at Link, before they widened from what seemed like recognition. "Is that you, Link…?"

"I am Link, yes," he answered, taking another step forward. Below him, lava churned, bubbling red.

"Oh, it really is Link!" the Goron called.

 _He must be the leader that Link wanted to bring me to… Daru… Darunia?_ Link tried to recall.

"You've grown so big since I last saw you!" Darunia exclaimed. "I want to have a man-to-man talk with you."

 _Whoa…what?_

"But now's not the time. Ganondorf is causing trouble on Death Mountain again! He has revived the evil, ancient dragon, Volvagia! On top of that, he is going to feed my people to that evil dragon as a warning to other races that might resist him…"

Link balled his fists, glaring.

"Ganondorf sounds even more troublesome than Zant…" Midna whispered as she rose out of Link's shadow, hiding behind him so Darunia did not see her.

"If that fire-breathing dragon escapes from the mountain, all of Hyrule will become a burning wasteland!"

"What do you propose we do?" Link called to him.

"I will go on ahead to try to seal up the evil dragon… I am concerned, though, because I don't have the legendary hammer… But I have no choice. Link…I'm asking you to do this as my Sworn Brother…"

Midna snorted a laugh. "That other Link certainly earns some strange titles."

"While I'm trying to deal with the dragon, please save my people!"

Link put his left hand on his chest and swore an oath. "I promise!"

Darunia seemed slightly relieved by this. He smiled kindly, then regained his serious expression. "The prisoners' cells are in the opposite direction. I'm counting on you, Link!" He backed up, then turned to the locked door. To Link's surprise, the chains slid into the walls, and the way was unlocked for the Goron leader. He entered the door, which slammed shut behind him, chains and lock rematerializing and barring the way.

Link stared at the far end of the room, noticing a set of iron bars blocking a cell to the left of the boss's door. He turned to the columns rising out of the churning lava and leapt forward, grabbing a hold of one and pulling himself onto it. It was barely big enough for him to stand on, so he jumped off it and landed on the next platform, which was three times the size. He was forced to jump to another small platform. He leapt off that as well, and rolled on the ground as he neared the cell.

Behind the bars, a Goron had curled up into a ball, as if ready to launch Link into the air. He didn't understand why, until he realized that it was trembling. It was scared.

On the floor just in front of Link, a switch glistened in the light. He ran over to it and stepped on it, causing the bars to slide into the wall. The Goron looked up, then rose to his feet as the bars disappeared. It looked exactly like Link the Goron, but it was slightly larger.

"Are you releasing me? Am I free to go?" the Goron asked Link.

Link nodded. He turned and pointed to the door he had come from.

"Go that way, then walk down the stairs and you'll return to Death Mountain Crater," he explained.

The Goron nodded his understanding and said, "I'll tell you a secret for saving me!"

Link smiled kindly. "I love learning secrets," he replied, encouraging the Goron.

"In order to get into the room where Darunia went, you have to do something about the pillar stuck in the ceiling."

"Pillar?" Link looked back, then spotted the column. It was red-hot, lodged in the roof and barely peeking out from the stone surrounding it.

"Find a path that leads to a room above the ceiling right away!" the Goron finished. He walked past Link, quickly heading for the exit. Link glanced back, spotting a chest that had been left with the Goron. He turned and approached it, then kicked it open and held its contents in front of him.

 _I found a Small Key! This key will open a locked door, but only in this dungeon._

Link turned around, only to come face-to-face with the Hero of Time. His Hylian friend's arms were crossed, and he was scowling. He approached Link and seized him by his red tunic, dragging him out of the cell.

"You, sir, have some explaining to do," was all he had to say as he hauled Link out.

Link rested his hand on his companion's forearm, pushing it down. He separated himself from his friend, but not to annoy him.

"Very well then," Link said. "What is it you would like to know?"

The Hero of Time hesitated for a moment, before he said, "Tell me how you got here before me, and even managed to free a Goron before I finished jumping over here!"

Link grinned. "Well, there are a multitude of weapons in my arsenal, and one specific item allowed me to bypass you and Sheik. Also, you really need to practice playing the Ocarina; that wolf could howl better than you could play that melody! Regardless, after that, I encountered Darunia, and he has continued onward to delay the dragon from escaping the mountain. We must now free his people from this place and find the mysterious hammer, as well as…" He pointed at the ceiling. "Drop that pillar right there into the floor! And then we get to fight the dragon, Volvagia!"

The Hero of Time rubbed a nonexistent beard, contemplating silently how he would respond to that. Finally, he said, "Very well. Let's go!" He turned and began running and jumping back across the pillars that led him there. He exited through the door, leaving Link alone.

"Be careful how you craft your lies," Midna said from Link's shadow, her red eye peeking out at him. "He may ask you to show him this weapon next time. Then what will you say?"

Link looked at the floor, his eyes full of sadness. "I know, Midna… I know…" He leapt across the pillars to join his friend, his fingers locking around the hot, white door handle. He opened the door and walked out of the room, before reuniting with the Hero of Time. They were finally ready to locate and rescue the Sage of the Fire Temple.

 **A/N: My updates will fluctuate. You may get two chapters in two days and then have to wait two weeks for the third. It depends on my schedule and my writing mood (because I don't want to write a story just for the sheer sake of writing the story; I want it to be good). Also, the reason for OoT Link continually screwing up the song is because of Awkward Zombie's Bolero of Ire comic.**

 **Also, because I did not say this earlier, to Philowen Aster, well, considering the game graphics, I'm surprised you noticed. XD Yes, I intend to make Wolf Link more involved because who** _ **doesn't**_ **love him? I'm glad you liked it, and I hope I don't disappoint you.**

 **And to Aurawarrior13, thank you for your review (I love how you wrote "lexicon"; I had to google the definition, but now I have a new word in my vocabulary! Yay!) I tend to view TP Link more highly because I played him first, and I picture him as being very formal, which is why. I will write on, yes!**


	16. The Fire Temple

**A/N: Sorry for my absence. School is killer. And I was kinda unallowed to write things for here because I was told I had to get my own personal project completed before that. EDIT: I finally finished it...in August. That's why I've been quiet for forever.**

 **And to those of you who have ideas for the Fire Temple that you would like to send me, now would be a good time. I already have ideas about the Megaton Hammer, but feel free to add suggestions. I'll consider them and try to put them in. As usual, I do not own Nintendo or The Legend of Zelda.**

 **Twilight Princess Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Fifteen

The Fire Temple

The first thing Link had to do was unlock the door directly opposite the one he exited. The Hero of Time had already killed the Keese for him, only to point insistently at the lock, knowing that Link had the key to it. Hiding his bitterness for still having to keep secrets from his friend, the Hero of Twilight had approached the door, throwing the small key into the lock and feeling slightly satisfied as he watched the chains collapse in a heap on the ground. The Hero of Time watched patiently behind him as he turned the handle and walked into the new room.

As he entered, he was aware that he was standing on a platform of bricks. Before him stretched a wooden bridge that spanned the lava gurgling below. What appeared to be chains suspended the planks in the air. Several sections of earth rose out of the lava, forming pathways in case either Link fell off and landed in the magma. Fire Keese zipped around in the air, trying to compete with Navi in their obnoxiousness. Link glared at them, then noticed a stone path that wrapped around the left side of the volcanic cavern.

"I suppose we need to go forward, then," Navi said, fluttering forward. She seemed to notice the Fire Keese as well, and she made a disapproving jingling noise in response to their movements.

Link took a step forward, only to realize something. He glanced to his side, surprised to see the Hero of Time making a mad dash for the small stone path. The other Hero's eyes were on a room located on the left side of the expansive cave-like location they were currently inside. The Hero of Time didn't even seem to notice the lava that covered the entirety of the floor.

"Link!" Link called after his friend, but apparently the Hylian Hero had more Triforce of Courage than the Hero of Twilight.

The Hero of Time leapt off the stone path and onto a slope clinging to the wall. He somehow avoided slipping off, and continued running forward without a second thought. His right boot skidded off the wall for a mere moment, touching the lava.

Link winced. That would definitely leave a mark.

The Hero of Time kept sprinting. He didn't even flinch at his red-hot boots. In fact, he pushed himself away from the wall and began thundering across the lava as if it weren't a problem. He leapt forward, then returned to the incline on the wall. He climbed onto a platform of bricks and stopped, before turning around and grinning.

"Who needs a bridge?" he called. "We have delightful paths carved out of the _land_!"

Link frowned. He studied the path, then looked to the lava, then back to the path. It was shorter than the bridge, which was nice, but he really didn't want to travel on something so unsafe.

"Let's keep moving then," Navi said, fluttering over to join her Hero.

 _Simple for her to say,_ Link thought, walking along the path. _She's capable of flight._ He stepped onto the wall, involuntarily curling his toes in his boots for some nonexistent extra grip. He pressed himself against the wall, his cheek scraping the steaming rock as he sidled along. He stepped onto the larger incline and began to ascend it before approaching the bricks and hoisting himself up.

The Hero of Time grinned. He pointed to the door. "Are you ready?"

Link rolled his eyes: another trick he had learned from Midna. When he did that, he spotted something that puzzled him.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the blue cube that rested just above the door. It was large enough for him to fit inside, even while standing. It was marked by the familiar symbols he had seen in the Temple of Time.

"We could warp it," Navi suggested to the Hero of Time, leaving Link completely in the dark about what they were talking about. Since when could _those two_ warp things?

The Hero of Time rubbed his imaginary beard thoughtfully. "But the door…I want to explore there, first!" he protested.

"Let Link handle that!" Navi commanded, bouncing up and down to emphasize her point. "He can explore the door, and you can move the cube!"

The Hero of Time frowned, then looked at Link. "I suppose she's right. You go on ahead. I'll see what this block is for."

Link nodded. He ran to the door, disappearing beneath the ceiling that the cube was supported by. He grabbed the handle and entered the room.

He was greeted by the crackling of a torch, but the flame was not visible from where he stood. The dim light made it hard for him to see, but he was aware that he was standing in a room made of cobblestone. A path branched off to the right just in front of him, and he could see the pale glow of firelight ahead. He walked forward carefully, trying to ensure that he wouldn't run into anything menacing, like a Skulltula.

Link rounded the corner and spotted the flames blazing from stone torches mounted to the walls. The light illuminated the dirty iron bars before him, as well as the Goron that trembled behind them. He spotted the switch in front of it, so he stepped on it. The distinctive click and whir of machinery rose to his ears.

The Goron looked up and rose to its feet as the bars slid into the right wall. It waited there for Link, as if it believed it needed his permission to leave.

"Are you releasing me? Am I free to go?" the Goron asked as Link drew near.

Link nodded. He pointed to the way he had come. "There is a door you can leave through. Follow the right wall and pass through the first entrance you encounter. Descend the stairs to the left, and you will return to Death Mountain Crater."

The Goron chuckled. "You are kind for telling me this, but I remember the way. Most of us do, actually, as we believed that these walls would be the last thing we ever saw, so we replayed the scene over and over, memorizing the walk we thought would be our last."

"Oh…" Link said.

"But, as thanks for saving me, I'll tell you a secret! A wall that you can destroy with the Goron's 'special crop' will sound different than a regular wall if you hit it with your sword." With those words, the Goron quickly walked past Link. The door opened, allowing the Hero of Twilight to hear three notes before it closed: the first sounded slightly low in pitch, with the second being even lower, and the final note being the highest.

Link turned around and walked toward the chest that had been locked away with the Goron. He kicked it open.

"Another key," Midna noted, remaining in his shadow.

Link retrieved the treasure and began to walk along to the far wall, heading back to the entrance. He threw open the door, only to be met with absolute blackness. He stopped in his tracks, only to flinch when the door closed. The sound was so loud, as if something had blocked the way and stopped the vibrations from escaping the room he entered. He couldn't even hear the strange gurgling of lava anymore.

Link stepped forward tentatively. Had he walked into a new room without even realizing it? No…there were no other paths. He took another step, then reached into his pouch and dug out his lantern. Fumbling with it in the dark, he managed to hold it exactly as he liked, and swiped it in the air, causing it to magically ignite. The light was so bright it seemed like the sun. It pierced the darkness, but caused his shadow to become jet black.

"That wasn't here before…" Midna rose out of Link's shadow, dimming it. She touched her small hand to the surface of the object, feeling its warm, stony surface. She traced her fingers across the insignia of the Temple of Time, a frown tugging at her lips. "You don't suppose Link knew this would happen…do you?"

"It's probably just a misunderstanding," Link responded. "I'd imagine that he believes there are other rooms in this dungeon branching out of this one. He may think that we're exploring, rather than trapped here. He'll return to move this…perhaps…"

"Perhaps…" Midna agreed half-heartedly, rapping her knuckles lightly on the cube that Navi had instructed the Hero of Time to move previously.

"But just in case…" Link began, knowing that he couldn't do anything without the block being moved again. "HEY, LINK!" he shouted. "YOU LOCKED ME IN! HELLO!?"

Midna grinned, her eye seemingly glowing in the darkness. "Why not try to force this out of your way?"

 _I suppose it can't hurt…_ Link thought hesitantly, backing up and placing his lantern on the ground. He relaxed his shoulders, then sprinted forward and slammed his left one into the blue block. His vision turned black upon impact. When he blinked, it returned. He stepped back and shook his head.

"I think it moved," Midna encouraged.

"Really?"

"Whatever you do, don't head-butt it, or I may have to start calling you a blockhead."

Link gave her an unamused look. Then, ignoring her comment, he said, "I will examine where this cube is on the wall. If it budges with my next attempt, then I'll keep trying until I'm out. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Link ran his finger along the bricks that disappeared behind the cube, calculating the position of the blue block. He walked away, took a deep breath, and then sprinted forward and leapt, shoulder ready to collide with the block and push it away. However, before his body made contact with the stone, the cube glowed blue and a halo-like circle of light cut through it, causing it to become almost transparent.

Link's eyes widened as he came to the realization that he wasn't ever going to hit the block. He landed on his shoulder and skidded across the ground as the stone completely disappeared before him. Light flooded his vision, and he squeezed his eyes shut, feeling as though he had been blinded.

"It's so ho-o-o-o-o-o-o-t…" Link heard the distinctive voice of the Hero of Time whine. "Put that lantern out before I die…"

Link sat up and stared at his friend. The first thing that dawned on him was that the other Hero was wearing his green tunic, instead of the Goron Tunic he had been given. He was also back to sweating and looking miserable.

Link snatched his lantern from the floor and stuffed it into his pouch, automatically snuffing out the flames. He rose to his feet.

"You appear as if you are truthfully dying," he noted.

"He is!" Navi exclaimed. "I calculate that he will perish in thirty-seven seconds!"

Link's eyes widened.

"Get me out of here…" the Hero of Time muttered breathlessly.

Link tore off his two belts and dropped them on the ground, consequently dropping his sword, shield, and pouches. He quickly pulled off his red tunic and handed it to the Hero of Time.

"But you…!" the other Hero protested.

"I don't need it!" Link snapped. "You're dying! I'm _immune_ to heat!"

But even as he said those words, he was aware of his own strength being sapped by the immense heat that clung to his entire body, as if he had been dropped into an oven.

His resistance had to have come from the Hero's Tunic; that was the only thing that was keeping him from passing out from the heat. Surely whoever owned it before him had managed to remake it so that it would be able to resist extreme temperatures. That would also explain why he was able to withstand snow, but not immensely chilly temperatures. It would also explain why his Zora tunic doubled the amount of pain he suffered; it had no resistance to the elements, unlike his green garb.

Even so, despite knowing that the Goron's Tunic was impervious to every single hot thing Link had touched so far, he did not hesitate to offer his own to the Hero of Time. As long as his companion didn't wait around and bicker with him, he would be able to put on his green clothes again and go back to being able to ignore the heat.

Gratefully, the Hero of Time accepted the Goron's Tunic from Link and flung his own green one on the ground. He put the red one on and sighed. "How in Hyrule are the effects of this thing instant?"

"Not dying anymore?" Link asked, slipping the Hero's Tunic on and retrieving his belts from the ground, buckling his equipment back to his body.

The Hero of Time shook his head.

"Excellent." Link grinned, already feeling relief as his own clothes chased away his weariness from the excessive heat. "Then let us depart." He pointed to the tan stone cubes floating in the lava before them. If the Heroes jumped onto the platforms, they would be able to run along a path of rock jutting from the magma. After that, they would need to leap onto more floating cubes. Then, they would arrive at what appeared to be a door, but it was difficult to be certain of what it was from their distance.

Link, seeing that the Hero of Time was ready to get moving, took off running, boots thudding on the bricks. He leapt forward and landed on the platform, doing his best to keep from sliding off or rolling. However, much to his surprise, the cube trembled beneath him, shuddering uncontrollably.

"Are you fooling me?" Link demanded, sprinting off and landing on the rock protruding from the lava. "I don't weigh _that_ much!" He rolled on the hot stone, then turned and beckoned the Hero of Time to join him.

The Hero of Time snickered. "Having some weight issues?" he asked as the cube rose back out of the lava, steaming. Its surface was washed in red because of the light and the magma. Regardless, the other Hero had no qualms with leaping onto it. He strutted across it, as if to say, _See, it can hold my weight._ However, he was forced to speed up and jump off immediately before it dropped back into the lava.

Link smirked at him. "You need to go on a diet, too, it seems."

The Hero of Time snorted. "Good thing I have a fairy who offers dietary advice. What should I eat, Navi?"

"More broccoli," Navi replied from the other Hero's shoulder.

The Hero of Time's face flashed with horror. "No-o-o-o! Anything but that!"

Link raised an eyebrow. "Broccoli?" he asked.

"I keep forgetting you live from some distant land outside Hyrule. It's this small plant… It…it looks like a tiny tree about _this_ big." He indicated a three inch gap with his fingers.

Link was skeptical. He placed the back of his hand on the Hero of Time's forehead and said, "You feel well, but I'm certain the heat is still affecting you. Do you want to go out and cool off for a short while?"

The Hero of Time batted his hand away. "I'm not crazy! I bet you have some strange foods in your land that I've never heard of! But anyway…" He sprinted toward one of the other platforms floating in lava and leapt onto it, avoiding more questions and discussions with Link. They did have an adventure to go on, after all. Talking wasn't supposed to play much part in it.

Beneath the Hero of Time, the cube shot to the left, propelled by a blast of heat strong enough to fry a Cucco. The Hylian Hero was carried to the side, which then allowed him to leap onto another section of stone above the lava. He ran up a long wooden plank onto a higher section of stone, then sprinted along it. A winged skull leapt out of the magma toward him, engulfed in a bubble of flames.

The Hero of Time ignored it and jumped off the stone, landing on a moving cube, then climbing onto a stationary block. As the others had done, the cube trembled and began to sink into the lava, disappearing beneath the magma as he jumped off it and onto a section of stone jutting out of the wall.

Link waited for the cubes to appear back out of the lava before he pursued the Hylian Hero. He trotted across the stone wall, only to join the Hero of Time on top of a brick platform.

"Link, we have a problem," the other Hero stated.

Link could see the problem. The supposed "door" was actually just a wall of bricks. The two had perceived it as an entrance due to the fact it was more faded than the surrounding area around it.

 _Didn't that Goron say something about this…?_ Link wondered, approaching the brick wall and placing his hand on it. The stones felt warm to his touch: hot enough to cook an egg. He withdrew his hand, only to place it on the handle of the Master Sword. _Walls that sound different…_

He immediately pulled the Master Sword from its sheath and jumped at the wall, startling the Hero of Time into stumbling back.

"Whoa, Link, there's no call for that," he said.

Link's sword rang out against the bricks, sounding strange, as if they were echoing. He then swiped his blade to the side, smacking it into the rest of the darkened wall. He staggered back, Master Sword trembling and ringing in his hand in response to striking a solid object.

The rest of the wall sounded completely solid. Only the faded part didn't.

Link turned back to the Hero of Time and asked, "Do you know what the Goron's 'special crop' is?" he asked.

The Hero of Time considered it, once again rubbing his nonexistent beard. "I suppose that would be bombs," he replied. "They're grown by the Gorons for reasons unknown. Perhaps so they can access sections of Dodongo's Cavern to get food…"

"Bombs?" Link repeated.

"Yeah."

Link turned back to the wall, grinning mischievously. He reached into the pouch on his belt, fumbling around for his explosives. He found a bag of them, then pulled it out. He fished around in the sack for a moment before pulling out a single explosive. It instantly ignited the moment it was exposed to the outside air.

The Hero of Time's eyes widened.

"I don't know why I have always wanted to do this," Link began, placing his bomb in front of the bricks and pulling his shield off his back, holding it in front of him to protect him from any shrapnel that might seek his face once the explosive detonated. "This will be good."

The bomb exploded. Pieces of metal fractured off it, flying into the wall and whacking Link's Hylian Shield. He was blasted back slightly, and black smoke drifted into the air. Whatever explosive powder Barnes used to make the bombs filled Link's nose, reminding him of Kakariko from present-day Hyrule. He was looking forward to returning home. Only four more dungeons remained before he could return to finish saving his own land, as well as complete his contract with Midna and no longer be a servant.

The smoke cleared, revealing a door embedded within the wall. The bricks that once barred access to it were now lying in small, broken fragments on the floor.

"So we've gone from being pottery-smashers to wall-blasters?" the Hero of Time asked as he followed a very smug Link into the new room. The new location looked exactly like the last prison Link had to rescue the Goron from, except that there was no bend in the wall. The switch was directly in front of the two Heroes, as well as the barred wall containing the Goron.

"After you," Link offered.

The Hero of Time jumped onto the switch, slamming it into the ground and causing the bars to slide into the right wall. The Goron looked up at them, then rose to his feet. The Hylian Hero approached him, while Link ran behind him and emptied the contents of the chest he was expecting to be there. As usual, he pulled out a key.

"Are you releasing me?" the Goron asked the Hero of Time. "Am I free to go?"

The Hylian Hero nodded enthusiastically.

"I'll tell you a secret for saving me!"

"Ooh! Secret! I love secrets," he encouraged.

"There are switches in this temple that you have to cut to activate. But you can also use the Goron's 'special crop' to do the job." With those words, the Goron quickly made a dash for the door, disregarding both Links and leaving them to figure out what those words meant. He disappeared from their sight, but both of them were alright with that.

"Why do they always refer it as 'special crop'?" Link asked. "It's almost as if they don't want us to rescue them. What if I hadn't asked you what the crop was? Then what would they do?"

"Maybe they want to ensure that we aren't servants of Ganondorf, since the monsters aren't smart enough to understand what a 'special crop' is," the Hero of Time supplied. "Plus, they might actually be trying to see if we have any intelligence and aren't leading them to their deaths."

"Solid point. Let's go and find these switches we need to blow up, shall we?"

"You're just eager to destroy more things, aren't you?"

"You're the one who decided to blow up Link the Goron, earlier. Not me. I just blow up doors and switches."

"Well…fine, you win this round." The Hero of Time dashed back over to the door, joined by Link as he walked outside. The Hylian Hero jumped down onto the stone jutting out of the ground. He trotted along, traveling across the lava in certain sections. He reached the stone section again and walked along a wooden board that formed a bridge for him. He turned around and waited for Link to join him.

Link began to also walk along the red hot stone, only to be forced to stop as the ground receded into the wall, preventing him from going any further. He wasn't sure his boots could take him over the magma, especially since the stone blocks themselves couldn't withstand the lava.

"Come on, Link!" the Hero of Time called.

Link took a step forward, only to instantly withdraw his foot. Fire sparked over the leather, threatening to melt it. His eyes widened and he took a step back.

"I can't walk on this without the Goron tunic!" he shouted in reply.

"Then what are you waiting for? _Jump_ it!"

"Obviously," Navi added.

Link frowned. "Very funny," he muttered. He sprang forward, then slammed into the wall. He slowly pulled himself away from it and shook his head, then held his nose. "Ugh." He walked along the stone and up the wooden plank, joining the Hero of Time at the chained door.

"You have the key for this, don't you?" the Hylian Hero asked.

Link now had a new reason to be smug. He pulled two keys from his pouch and said, "Which one would you like to use first?"

The Hero of Time snatched the one on the left and threw it into the lock, causing the chains to retract into the padlock. He opened the door, followed by Link.

The first thing the two Heroes noticed was the giant column of fire launching from out of the ground in front of them. The blast of heat rose to the ceiling, bright yellow in the center before dulling to a faint red at the edges. Link could feel its heat from where he stood, which made him wipe away the sweat forming on his brow. Beside him, the Hero of Time tapped his feet on the tightly packed bricks, then trudged forward, unfazed by the heat.

As Link wordlessly pursued him, his eyes scanned his surroundings. To his left, the floor glowed red with heat, and on his left, the brown dirt gave way to lava. Standing tall between him and the massive column of flame was a diamond-lattice fence with iron rims. An opening had been cut into the front of it, allowing him access to the second part of the room, where he could see two large broken pillars. A wooden plank joined the ground on which he stood to the dirt floor with the blast of flame.

The Hero of Time set one foot on the board, only to slip. He waved his arms frantically, then sat down hard, skidding across the makeshift bridge. His boots touched the ground and he immediately rose to his feet, grinning sheepishly.

"Oops…" he said.

"Klutz…" Navi muttered, fluttering in front of him and sizing up the fire as the flame died down and sunk into a round hole filled with lava.

Link cautiously stepped onto the plank, then walked down, completely unfazed. He grinned smugly, staring at the Hero of Time, who was rubbing the back of his Goron tunic.

"Ack! Splinters…" the Hylian Hero winced, examining his hand.

"This is why you should avoid skittering down strange boards that were crafted Hyrule-knows-when," Link supported.

The Hero of Time snorted, then trudged over to the hole to see why no more blasts of heat were coming from it.

"What do you think happened to the fi—" he began, only to be pulled back by his shirt by Link as the column of flame launched into the sky, ready to melt the face off anyone who dared come close to it.

Both Heroes looked up, staring at the concentrated rising flames. Navi had landed on the Hero of Time's shoulder and was now snuggling into his Goron tunic for protection from the heat. She watched silently as the heat died down again, and the two Heroes stared accusingly at the ground, waiting for the fire to reappear.

"So…" the Hero of Time trailed off, his eyes wandering up and catching sight of a block on top of the pillar to their right. He pointed. "Look!"

Link stared up as well, spotting the enormous cube resting precariously on top of the stone. He began to walk around the pillar, disregarding the blast of flame that continuously erupted from the lava pit. He squinted, trying to locate a ladder, but finding none. He placed his hand on the stone and then attempted to leap onto it so he could climb it. He failed, and ended up skidding back off, boots sliding on the flawlessly-carved pillar.

"Not that way then…" the Hero of Time said. He turned and looked back at the entrance, then grinned smugly.

Link also tossed a glance over his shoulder as he repeatedly leapt onto the stone and slid back off, but he didn't see whatever it was that was making his companion appear so content.

 _What?_ Link wondered. _Do you presume that there may be something we missed, or…_

He watched, wide-eyed, as the Hero of Time daringly sprinted back toward the entrance, then shot to the side and leapt onto the fence, only to heroically begin climbing the diamond-lattice. The entirety of the Hylian Hero's hands could fit in the holes, but he didn't seem to care about that. Instead, he delightedly continued ascending, pulling himself onto the top of the fence and balancing there almost as precariously as the cube.

"Come on, slowpoke!" the Hero of Time called, gesturing for Link to follow him. He pulled his Hookshot out of his pouch and shot two Keese with Navi's help, then began to cautiously walk across the top of the fence.

Link ceased his attempts to climb the pillars; it wasn't working anyway. He turned to the diamond-lattice and began to ascend it, looking just as heroic as the Hero of Time. However, there was a major difference between them.

Link was slower.

The Hero of Time waited excitedly for him to catch up on top of another section of fencing, which was more like a catwalk than anything else. After just a moment of anxiously bouncing on his heels—which then transitioned to picking some unknown grime off his Ocarina of Time—the Hylian Hero grew impatient. He stretched and adjusted his shoulder belt, then tapped his foot on the catwalk lattice, being careful not to let the toes of his shoes slip through the gap. He looked around, bored, then sighed.

"Hurry up, Link!" the Hero of Time urged.

"I'm coming!" Link protested, grabbing the top of the lattice and pulling himself up effortlessly, slinging his leg on top of it and standing up. However, he had miscalculated the size of his space, as well as his own balance, and ended up slipping off the other side and grabbing the top.

The Hero of Time glared up at the ceiling.

"Hey!" Navi called. "We don't have all day, Link!" She zipped over to Link and landed on his hat as he pulled himself up. He looked up at her and swiped her off his garb, only to slip off the other side again.

"Hyrule, this is tedious!" he complained. "Why am I incapable of remaining on my feet atop this?"

On top of the pillar, the Hero of Time began to struggle pushing the cube forward, having decided that he was tired of waiting around. His fingers dug into the coarse surface of the stone, and he grunted, his feet skittering on the ground as he forced himself to move forward. He almost pressed his head into the stone, which had an odd-looking face engraved into the surface, but he decided against it, instead focusing all of his energy on his arms and fingers.

"I keep slipping off!" Link complained, unable to pull himself onto the lattice and remain there. Navi's constant reminders to "Listen" weren't getting him anywhere, either.

The Hero of Time smiled mischievously as he gave one swift push and sent the cube tumbling off the pillar and onto the circle of lava below.

"Now, we don't have to worry about that trying to turn us into fried Cucco," he said, dusting his hands.

Link glanced back to see what he was talking about. At that very moment, the fire beneath the cube activated, and the stone was sent flying into the air, which almost smacked the Hero of Time in the face.

The block launched upward, slamming into a perfectly-sized square hole and scraping across the walls as it lodged there.

Both Heroes stared at it, wide-eyed and horrified. Even Navi was stunned.

The fire ceased, and the block shuddered in the wall before sliding down and plummeting to the ground far below.

Neither Link had anything to say about that. The Hero of Time seemed to be regretting his life decisions, and the Hero of Twilight had already begun to sling himself around the fence and pull himself onto the catwalk from the other side.

Link trudged across the catwalk, mentally complaining about his stupidity for not trying to crawl over to the other side and haul himself onto the thicker ground. He jumped down and landed beside the Hero of Time, almost knocking over his solemn companion.

"I'm…certain they won't mind," Link assured, resting a hand on the Hylian Hero's shoulder. "It's not like anyone visits this Temple anymore."

"Y…yeah…" the Hero of Time agreed, watching the block rise and fall with every blast of heat. "No one comes here…I'm sure they won't mind if I just…made…" His head tilted up, then looked back down, only for his gaze to return to the square hole in the ceiling. "An elevator…!"

"A what?" Link asked, but the gears of his own mind were turning in the same direction as his companion's. He grinned, then patted his friend on the back. "Congratulations, Link; you are intelligent."

The Hero of Time beamed as the block fell back to the ground. "Well, come on, then, Link! Let's go!" He raced forward and jumped, then somehow halted midair and came crashing down on top of the cube. He beckoned Link to join him from his place.

Link peered down at the cube, then dragged his toe nervously across the pillar he stood on. "I…believe I shall wait here. Do you not remember what happened the last time we joined one another on a moving 'elevator'?"

The cube beneath the Hero of Time trembled as the flame began to ignite. He wouldn't stop grinning.

"Yeah, Navi called us fat!" he said. "But that's okay; she offers dietary advice to go with it!"

"I do not trust flaming 'elevators'…" Link muttered, but he still remained in his place, continuing his conversation with the Hero of Time at the edge of the pillar.

The cube was launched into the air, and the flame beneath it roared. The Hero of Time didn't even flinch with the sudden movement, but instead grinned more broadly and extended his hand.

"Come on, Link!" he encouraged.

Unfortunately, Link didn't get much of a choice. Before he could even grunt in surprise, he was torn from his place and forcefully pulled onto the cube by his friend, and the two were sent even higher into the air.

"What if there's only a roof at the top?" Navi asked. "You two will be crushed!"

"Why didn't you tell me to look before I leap?!" the Hero of Time demanded. "You _always_ tell me to look before I leap! Now you neglect to do so, when there's a chance I could be _crushed_?"

"You never listen anyways…" Navi defended. "So what if you're flattened? See that collection of Heart Containers and Pieces you've been accumulating? Those will save you."

Link looked up, watching the ceiling rapidly approach, the bricks growing larger. However, he could also see the edge of the floor they were growing close to, so he knew they wouldn't be flattened if the flame depleted before it reached the ceiling of the new floor.

As he speculated, the fire beneath them that propelled the cube wasn't tall enough to cause their elevator to slam into the ceiling and crush them into a green-and-red rug. The cube slid to a halt, lodging in the small space available and allowing the two Heroes to step off in a room made of perfectly square bricks. Directly in front of them, breaking the simple square pattern, a greenish wooden door with iron bars and glass panels stood proudly. A set of chains gleamed over the frame, binding the door in place.

Link reached into his back pocket, stepping off their ride and approaching the door. He grabbed the hot metal padlock and slid the key into the hole, then turned it, listening to the strangely satisfying click as the sequences of links retracted and the lock dissipated into nothingness.

He grabbed hold of the handle, the Hero of Time bickering with Navi behind him about how breaking legs was nicer than being crushed. Shaking his head and allowing himself a slight chuckle, he allowed himself into the new room.

 _They remind me of Midna and myself,_ Link thought, entering the new location. _In the days when I hated that imp and wanted to drown her in Ordon Spring._

His quiet laughter faded to absolute silence as he looked up and spotted a Goron shuddering behind greenish iron bars. Immediately, his heroic senses took over, and he charged forward. His eyes glanced left and right in a split second, taking in the square brick wall to his right, and the vast open space to his left that lead to an interesting dirt path. He jumped onto a greenish platform of bricks and ran over to the Goron.

There was no switch to open this door. As Link glared accusingly at the bricks with fire symbols in them, he realized that the mechanism to open the door and allow the Goron out was completely absent.

 _The monsters have grown smarter…_ Link thought, relenting and backing away from the bars. The poor Goron in front of him was so scared that it couldn't even see him. He needed to go find the switch that would open the bars. Doubtlessly, it would be in another room; monsters didn't move devices two feet out of the way; they moved them eighty. It was common knowledge.

The Hero of Time, seeing Link turn away from the Goron and begin running along the path of bricks to the left, chose to also disregard the Goron and join his companion. He climbed up on a raised section of the floor pressed against the wall. A slug monster with its slimy back set ablaze was _slowly_ crawling around on top of it, so neither one of them was worried about getting attacked for their audacity.

Link pulled himself up first, then glared at the monster. He ran over to it, and it spotted him. It stiffened, rising two feet in height, icky body increasing in heat.

Link poked it with his sword. The monster's demeanor instantly changed and it shrank back down to its normal height, turning grey as its fire sputtered out. He sliced it in two, and it burned up in blue flames, disappearing into oblivion and leaving nothing behind but an interesting-looking green pouch as big as his boot.

The Hero of Time continued onto a higher section of ground and killed whatever slimy thing was on top of it, then looked back to see what was taking his friend so long.

Link lifted up the green pouch and examined it, sniffing it curiously before snorting out the strange smell. He turned and held it up for the Hero of Time to see, and he shook it slightly to emphasize it.

"What is this?" he asked.

The Hero of Time frowned, leaning against a blazing pillar to support himself.

"It's magic, Link," the Hylian Hero replied. "Don't they have that where you come from?"

Link stared at the bag, then pulled it open to see its contents, only to find colorless powder that glowed green. That made no sense.

 _So…if this is magic,_ he began contemplating, _and the Dominion Rod is ancient magic, then that would explain why the staff's magic is green; it's composed of this light powder, but condensed into a solid orb. I would imagine that, if I formed this into a sphere and threw it, it would perhaps be able to imbue inanimate objects with life._

Link stuffed the pouch into his inventory, then joined the Hero of Time on the tallest raised section of floor.

Now, reunited with his friend, the Hero of Time turned and leapt forward, catching the section of floor that jutted out before them. He pulled himself up, then turned to the stone block on his right and began to push it off the path.

Link sprung forward as well, only to be greeted by a solid wall. He held his hands out in front of himself to prevent smashing into the bricks.

"Today's not a good day for you, huh?" he was aware of Midna faintly whispering from his shadow.

Unfortunately, Navi just so happened to be meandering around while her Hylian struggled against the block. She turned to Link and fluttered over to him.

"Did you say something?" she asked, hovering in the air in front of him, her body glittering and shedding small sparkles of light.

"I don't believe so," Link replied, taking a step toward her and placing his boot on his shadow, trying to draw attention on himself and away from the ground. "What did you hear, Navi?"

The fairy was probably eyeing him suspiciously, but it was impossible to tell because of her size. He may have been her friend, due to the fact that he and the Hero of Time were companions, but she knew he was hiding something. She _knew_ it. And she wasn't going to give up until she learned what it was.

"I'm not sure what the words were. They sounded strange," the fairy replied. "'Zee, keyorr mess, what ebaub into hyn' is what it sounded like."

Link decided to play dumb. He scratched his long ears and then leaned back slightly. "I've…never heard words like that. Are you sure you didn't hear Link grunting, with the noise distorted by the crackling of the flames from that fire?" He pointed to the blazing pedestal opposing them, adding emphasis to his words.

"Well, Link doesn't make high-pitched grunts, but if you were to _mock_ him, it would be in a high tone, would it not?"

"Navi, I do not mock those who work hard; I may be forced to do their work for them."

"Mmm-hmm," she muttered, fluttering back to the Hero of Time as he pushed the block off the path. He brushed his hair out of his eyes, then looked around.

"Shouldn't there be something like ivy here, to climb up with?" he asked. He stared at a face-shaped marking embedded in the ground level where he pushed the block, and he frowned. "Oh." He sprung off the raised ground, then spun around midair and grabbed the block, pulling it back and forcing it into place. He climbed on top of it and then leapt onto another section of brick, disappearing from Link's sight.

A few seconds later, as he was about to join his companion, Link heard, "Hey! Can you cut that switch down there for me?" The Hero of Time sounded as if he was right above Link, so the Hero of Twilight looked up and spotted his friend.

"This?" Link asked, poking a diamond-shaped object on a silver pedestal with his sword. The blade whacked the stone with enough force to cause the inside to glow yellow, and strange liquid moved around in it.

The roar of a flame died down, and Link heard the Hero of Time call, "Thank you!"

Link looked up, spotting his friend climbing up another lattice-like fence. He turned and began to sprint forward, heading for the stone he had allowed the Hero of Time to move for him. He skidded on the ground, then launched onto the block, turning and jumping onto another extension of brick. He scrambled up the wall, his fingers locking around another hot metal lattice.

As he pulled himself to his feet, he was aware of a circle of fire, which began to blaze around the base of the next lattice he needed to ascend in order to reunite with the Hero of Time.

"Come on, Link!" Link heard the Hero of Time call.

"Allow me a moment!" he replied. "Continue on without me!"

"Alrighty, then!" the other Hero shouted. His footsteps grew fainter as he walked away.

Link heard the distinctive click of a door opening, then the thud of it being slammed closed. He nodded appreciatively.

"So, um, what next?" Midna asked. She rose out of Link's shadow, solidifying and resting on his shoulder, staring up at the lattice which led to another floor that the Hero of Time had disappeared on.

"I'm almost positive that the flames died down when I cut the switch," Link replied, walking to the edge and dropping down slightly. "And I remember the Goron telling me that a 'special crop' would work as efficiently as my sword." From out of his pouch, he drew a single bomb, which immediately ignited as it was subjected to the air. He dropped it in front of him, then turned to face the bottom of the fiery lattice the Hero of Time had climbed.

Behind him, near the switch, the bomb exploded, and the switch clanged.

The fires that warmed Link's cheeks immediately sputtered out, and he smirked. He grabbed ahold of the lattice and began to painstakingly ascend.

"Good thing you sent Link on ahead of you," Midna said. "You take forever to climb."

"Thank you for your support, Midna."

"You're _my_ Hylian; I support my slaves however I want to."

Link grinned as he pulled himself onto the next floor and approached the door. Midna disappeared back into his shadow just in case the Hero of Time might be lurking just outside the entrance. She caused his silhouette to flicker slightly as he opened the door, but after a few seconds of shuffling, she settled down.

The first thing Link saw as he pulled the door open was a stone face leering at him, and bricks spreading out on the walls to his left and right. Then, a mere second later, he felt a stinging pain erupt in his entire left half and he was thrown to the ground with a grunt of pain.

The next thing he knew, his vision had turned black, and he heard the distinctive sound of his Heart Containers cracking.

. . . . .

 **A/N: I kinda did some things here where I just exaggerated the Links' actions as they do stuff. And, is it just me, or is TP Link the adult in this crowd? Haha, sorry OoT Link fans! Also, the reason TP Link couldn't balance on the lattice is because, in-game, he can't precariously balance on anything unless he's a wolf. OoT Link can tight-rope walk (as seen in Goron City where the Goron's Ruby would be on display), but TP Link has to transform into a wolf.**

 **And Philowen Aster, you are correct, but if OoT Link does ask to see this "weapon", would TP Link be able to pull the stone out of his pocket and be like, "Here's my weapon"? I don't think he would—partly** **because Midna has it, and partly because it would instantly transform him into a wolf. Also, I want to inform you, but I'm afraid I must have a few tricks up my sleeve. Rest assured though: he will definitely reveal himself to OoT Link in past-day Hyrule. It'll come soon…maybe.**


	17. Secrets Preserved in Shadow

**A/N: Hellooooo! How many of you hate me for my year-long absence? *raises own hand* Yeah I hated it too. Rereading all of your positive comments made me feel both good and bad, because I'm so happy that you all like this story, but I feel like such a brat for leaving you in suspense for so long. I really and truly wanted to come back so many times, but I have been working nonstop on that "personal project" mentioned in some A/N forever ago (I don't remember which one…) And I only got it done in July. It was updated in August though, and then I returned to college work shortly afterward. I have since been pestered to continue that project (it's split in multiple pieces), but I had been sort of…"relaxing"… Which means I wasn't writing and was instead just doing school for many months on end. It's really sad, actually…I have so much school to do that I don't have time to write. And I love writing.**

 **To make up for my absence (because a simple "sorry" doesn't cut it, and I'd be mad too if one of the stories I enjoyed stopped updating for a full year), I will do my absolute best to get the next chapters to you without too much time passing. After my personal project gets managed, I'll probably drop back into my rhythm with this and get it done relatively quickly for you to read and enjoy. By September though, that routine may get torn to shreds, and I'll be forced to return to no end of evil school. So I'll try and complete this (haha, by some miracle) before fall semester. I hope this (long overdue) chapter doesn't disappoint anyone. Once again, I do not own the Legend of Zelda or Nintendo.**

 **Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Sixteen

Secrets Preserved in Shadow

The Hero of Time had one observation regarding this new location he found himself in; he hated it. _As usual_ , his favorite Hylian buddy had abandoned him, so he was forced to meander around by himself. It didn't help that he was trapped in an enormous labyrinth, complete with massive boulders that kept trying to run him flat. He didn't have the Hero of Twilight's nifty Iron Boots with him—not that he could plod around in them anyway—so he was incapable of tossing the obstacles aside and continuing on his path.

Instead, he had to settle for running away as fast as his legs would carry him, doing his best to avoid being slammed to the ground and flattened. He had too much experience with that as it was, especially thanks to the Hero of Twilight's "forgetfulness" regarding how to catch the boulders.

Link supposed there was no need to complain. He had done fairly well avoiding the boulders. The second he entered the door and was greeted by a stone face peering back at his, he had scurried off to the right, only to watch a boulder roll in his direction and begin chasing him as he clung to the left wall of the labyrinth. He had noticed immediately that, no matter how tightly he pressed himself to the scalding bricks, the boulder would crash into him, and he was not looking forward to impact.

So he had continued running, following the left wall in an attempt to escape the maze. It wasn't exactly "fleeing in terror"; it was more or less a tactical retreat, or an advance in the wrong direction. He had located another Goron on the path not too long ago, after stomping on a switch and setting the little rock-man free. He had received a key for his hard work, but what he was most appreciative for was the information provided by the Goron. He could still hear the ex-prisoner's words echoing in his mind.

"In this temple, there are doors that fall down when you try to open them. When one of these doors starts to fall, move! If you use a sample of the Goron 'special crop', you can break it…"

 _What kind of nitwit builds doors that will squish people, anyway?_ Link wondered to himself, running his hand across the flame reliefs carved from the wall. He had spied a door far ahead of him, and he was maneuvering the labyrinth, heading straight for it. He figured that if he missed anything, the Hero of Twilight would have his back and grab it for him.

Link's fingers locked around the door handle, yet, oddly enough, he thought he heard the sound of the door opening before he even turned the knob. He blinked, remaining absolutely silent, cocking his head to the side slightly.

After a second or two, he lost interest and flung the door open. The sound was louder than he had expected, but he disregarded it and entered the new room, examining his surroundings as the door slammed shut behind him.

Link found himself standing in a corridor that twisted to the left, comprised of what looked like bricks and illuminated by two torches hidden by the bend. The location looked exactly like the area he had rescued the Goron from with the help of the Hylian Hero, except that the last area had been a straight path.

Link trotted forward, following the short tunnel and stepping onto a switch placed in the ground.

 _These monsters need to be more creative with where they hide the switches to let out their prisoners,_ he thought, watching as the bars that separated him from the Goron slid aside, disappearing into the wall and out of sight.

As usual, the Gorons had the same thing to say. It was as if they had all had a convention, discussing what they would tell their rescuer to make sure he knew that _they_ weren't imposters.

"Are you releasing me? Am I free to go?" the Goron asked Link. "Let me tell you a secret as a reward for releasing me!"

"Sounds great!" Link agreed enthusiastically, but he was secretly getting tired of hearing the same words repeated by different Gorons. He was definitely going to have a talk with Darunia and ask about that convention.

"When you are on fire," the Goron began, immediately drawing Link's attention seeing that he had no intention of becoming barbeque, "you can put it out by swinging your sword, or by rolling forward… Did you know that?"

With his words of wisdom now spoken, the Goron immediately power-walked past Link, ignoring the Hero of Time and loudly opening the door. Link heard the distinctive crash of it slamming shut behind the Goron, and he turned away from the exit, heading instead for the glorious wooden chest that had once been locked in the cell. With a swift kick, he opened the chest and fetched the shiny silver key.

"You have two now," Navi noted.

Link snickered. "This means Link's outta luck. I bet he's probably stuck in the other room, wondering how he's going to get past the obstacles and through the locked doors we've yet to encounter."

"I suppose we should go to his aid then, hmm?" Navi suggested, zipping through the air and heading for the door.

"Indeed!" Link affirmed, dashing after her and exiting through the door. However, it wasn't as if he could just instantly track down his companion—he didn't have the nose of a Wolfos, after all. Besides, there was no telling if that sneaky little Hylian Hero had managed to find some alternative route. He had once before; what would prevent him from doing it again? He did have that very diverse arsenal to help him magic his way around obstacles, right?

 _I'm going to have to rob him of more than five items when he dies, if that's the case,_ Link thought, now sprinting down the path to his right. Another boulder was beginning to chase him, while a second rolled out of his way and allowed him to run as fast as possible to his next destination. He now decided to cling to the right wall; it seemed to be the most effective strategy to prevent him from getting lost in the labyrinth.

For better or worse, a door bound with steel chains was embedded in a section of the wall jutting from the right side of the room. Link immediately halted in front of it, looking left and right curiously to see if any other exits were just casually waiting to be explored.

 _I could always come back for them later,_ he told himself, reaching into his pouch and drawing one of his two keys.

"I thought we were looking for Link," Navi commented, flitting through the air as her Hero unlocked the door and entered the new room.

"He said he'd catch up," the Hero of Time replied simply, before elaborating. "I mean, we both want to save those Gorons. It's not like he can just meander out of the dungeon; he'll either have to trail along, or he'll backtrack and find another way. He can't get through the locked doors without a key, so he'll most likely follow us and take the paths we've already opened. For now though, we need to keep moving. Link the Goron is counting on us to save Darunia and the others, and who's better suited to the task than Link, the Hero of Gorons?"

Navi seemed to understand, but she still didn't seem pleased. "I thought the point of you two going on an adventure together was so you could get the work done in half of the time, and more efficiently. But now, you just seem to be wandering away from him, or him from you, and you just operate independently of one another anyway."

Link thought about that as he examined his new room, contemplating her excellent point as he stared at his not-so-excellent surroundings.

Whoever the idiot was who designed this place must have forgotten about a crucial thing necessary for dungeon construction: supplies. Sure, there were plenty of boulder death traps, high walls to create mazes, creepy stone faces, and prisons, but the architect seemed to have decided that—apparently—whatever they still had left was going to be thrown haphazardly together to make this new room.

Yes, there was a good supply of those locked doors, with the one to the left restricted by strong iron bars and the one directly ahead sealed by chains. A creepy eyeball diamond switch had been mounted to the wall, waiting patiently for some optometric treatment that Link would be happy to provide by means of his bow. There was even a ledge of solid brick to his left, with two hearts rotating mysteriously on its surface.

The only issue not given proper attention by the architect was a rather simple thing called a _floor_. Instead, a questionable path of bricks had been suspended in the air, concreted to the two doors and hovering over a considerable drop. As Link ventured to the edge of this shady-looking path, he felt his stomach begin churning. He peered down, just to see if it was safe to leap: Navi would be proud.

It wasn't. The "considerable" drop would send him to an early grave, and he had already trekked through one of those during this quest. He couldn't even see the floor, the surface shrouded in the reddish dust that choked the dungeon and distorted by a heat mirage.

"I'm, uh…" Link began, taking several tentative steps onto the bricks. He then cautiously dragged his feet along as he tried to maneuver the thin walkway. "Just…um, going to…take the closer path."

"Cucco," Navi muttered.

"Says the flying bug."

"Careful, Link…I might just dive-bomb you into that pit."

"Might wanna fetch the keys first or you'll have to come down and get them, otherwise you and Link won't be able to clear the dungeon when I'm dead," Link grumbled as he shot the eyeball and watched with slight smugness as the bars to his right slid up and slammed into the ceiling. He finished walking across the path, then darted to the door where it was safe.

The first thing he saw as he dashed into this new room was a wall of bars. For a split second, all he could think was, _Whoa, I walked into my own little prison!_ He half-expected the door behind him to lock him in—punishment for leaving without saying anything to the Hero of Twilight—but a quick glance to his sides revealed that it wasn't really a jail.

To his left there was nothing but sturdy clay bricks, but to his right was a small path allowing him access to a large treasure chest. He didn't have to worry about becoming like one of the Gorons, since there was no roof overhead and he could just climb out after some struggling if the need arose and he truly was trapped.

But Link wasn't, so he flung open the chest and delightedly seized a convenient dungeon map. Snickering in a childlike manner, he trotted back outside, only for his happiness to wilt away as he once again faced the seemingly endless pit. Growling under his breath, he tentatively marched across the remainder of the stone bridge, arriving at the chained door and placing his final key in the lock.

The chains clattered noisily as the lock mysteriously vanished—as locks tended to do—and Link trotted inside. Of course, as usual, Hyrule hated him, and so another of those strange skinny bridges waited to greet him. However, unlike the previous room, which suspended its path over a pit of nothingness, this location projected its clay brick trail over a pool of lava. The path made a sharp right, permitting access to a chain link catwalk that led Hyrule-knows-where.

"There better be another key right around the corner," Link grumbled, scampering across the projection and quickly veering right, leaping onto the metal path. It was only suspended a couple of feet above the lava, but his Goron's Tunic made him completely immune to the heat radiating from the liquid.

It did not, however, make him impervious to the wall of fire that sparked behind him, the flames rising higher in the air than his green-capped head. Link quickly looked back, distracted from examining his new surroundings as he faced the inferno. His eyes widened as it lurched forward, flames now moving swiftly towards him and extending from one side of the room to the other. He couldn't turn aside; he would have to continue onward.

"Run!" Navi commanded, dive-bombing Link's head, but it wasn't like he needed to be told. He quickly turned back to the remainder of the catwalk, sprinting as fast as his legs would carry him and leaping onto a section that had been built higher than the rest, for whatever reason. The wall of fire was pursuing him faster than he was prepared for, like some evil enchanted inferno looking to barbeque a mostly innocent Hylian.

Unfortunately, his path had been broken apart, split perfectly in two and separated from his section. He would need to jump to make it to the other side, and the fire wasn't exactly slowing down to let him nitpick about the best part to aim for. Throwing caution to the wind as he usually enjoyed, he sprang off his section and soared gracefully over the lava.

Link landed a little less gracefully, slipping off the metal and forcing himself to catch the iron frame bordering the catwalk. He quickly pulled himself up, not daring to waste any time dawdling. He spotted two columns waiting for him, both looking short enough to climb but high enough to protect him from the fire. Would he have time to ascend one, though?

He didn't know, so he instead continued darting across the chain-link catwalk. He leapt off a raised section of it and began to race along the final stretch, heading for a lovely section of brick wall to his right that would allow him to leap onto it and out of the course of the inferno.

"Bye-bye, fire!" Link called as he sprung from the metal floor and onto the section of the wall. It seemed to ascend in several places, like a gigantic and impractical staircase. That was fine; most of the dungeons in his quest had impractical pathways. That wasn't going to stop him from using them.

Behind Link, the fire reached the far end of the room, promptly sputtering out as it crashed into one of the walls.

"Good riddance," Navi said irritably from her place on Link's shoulder.

"Why are you complaining? You just rode along!" Link protested, venturing down a portion of the "stairs" and stealing a suspicious heart that seemed to be waiting for him.

"There were things I wanted to see," Navi commented. "Like if there was a small key lying around, since there was a locked door up there somewhere on the left."

Link waved his hand dismissively. "I'm going to climb my stairs away from fire death-traps. We'll come back here later, if necessary, and I volunteer Link to go first next time."

"Will you tell him about the wall of fire?" Navi asked, pursuing her Hylian Hero as he leapt up and grabbed the raised platform of his "stairs".

"Nah…let's just see how he'll handle this, and with what items." He exited through a door waiting at the top of the path, astonished to see the room he had ventured back into.

Like some sort of cruel joke, he had found himself once again inside the labyrinth from earlier, the boulders still rolling around with nothing better to do than ruin adventurers' explorations. The only difference in the scenery was that he now stood _atop_ the maze, and the walls that formed it had become his floor.

Sizing up this new perspective of the labyrinthine room, Link decided that he could only run forward. After he explored a very suspicious square hole in the floor, he could then proceed to dart across the other route to his right.

"Look before you—" was all Navi managed to say before Link leisurely dropped down into the square, maintaining his reputation as a daredevil; he couldn't let his title be ruined by his instances of hesitancy earlier. However, as usual, he decided that Navi was right on this one. The drop was a lot greater than anticipated.

"AAAAAAAAHHH!" Link cried as he fell, only to slam into the ground way too far below. He yelped, his Heart Containers alerting him instantly of his mistake as several cracked and ceased to lend him strength. Slowly, he rose back to his feet and limped forward a few paces before he began to return to his usual gait. Navi was growling complaints from inside his hat.

 _Freeloader…_ Link mentally snorted.

The worst part about this little journey was the fact that nothing was around. Absolutely nothing. The iron bars that once prevented further adventuring had now been returned to the walls, and the treasure chest on the floor had already been emptied of its contents. Though, now that Link looked, he noticed that he had already been in this room before. It was the same place where he'd had to haul that huge stone block and climb the chain-link wall with a ring of fire around it. The same room where he'd abandoned the Hero of Twilight.

But now, as he stood within the prison where the little Goron had once trembled, he noticed that the Hylian Hero was nowhere to be found. Somehow, he had mysteriously rescued the prisoner, and had vanished off the face of Hyrule.

 _How does he keep doing this?_ Link wondered, shaking his head slightly in confusion mixed with disapproval. _He could at least tell me he's going to collect stuff, so I don't have to waste my time exploring places he's already ventured through._

"Back up we go, then," Navi said, seemingly reaching the same conclusion as Link. Her Hero casually meandered over to the chain-link fence that would allow him to climb all the way back into the labyrinth. He was quite pleased with his speed; at least it wouldn't take him too long to ascend and catch up to the Hero of Twilight.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to still be trailing behind the Hylian Hero. Link learned quite quickly after he had reached the top that his fellow adventurer had already pressed a switch into the floor, freed another Goron, and looted the contents of the chest that had once been imprisoned with the rock-man.

"Well, we have nothing else to do but go back and explore that other room, with the wall of fire," Navi muttered, agitation evident in her voice. She clearly didn't appreciate her Hero doing the same things that the Hero of Twilight had done, but with no reward for his efforts. If Link had at least gotten a key or freed a Goron, it would have been redeemed, but there was no benefit to his hard work. This was a first-come, first-served dungeon, and the other Hero seemed to be the first to everything.

"How is he doing it?" Link wondered aloud as he once again stepped into the room where he had been chased by fire. "How is he getting to all of these places before us? Does he have some sort of special skill, or what?" He trudged back to the place where he had leapt to avoid the flames, now preparing himself to jump back onto the catwalk.

"I don't know," Navi murmured, bobbing through the air without concern. However, right before Link could dart to the metal floor, his guide flinched and smacked him in the face. "Link, look!"

Rubbing his left eye, Link's gaze followed along to the place where Navi was indicating with her entire body, zipping through the air to draw his attention to a specific place. A solid black form was kneeling at the locked door a short distance from him, across the catwalk. However, the longer Link and his guide stared to perceive the shape, the more it seemed to lighten in color. It looked like it was turning green.

"Get it!" Navi commanded, and Link was happy to comply. He shot forward and sprung onto the metal floor, only to growl in frustration as another wall of fire rose up to greet him.

"Now is not the time!" he snarled at it, even if it couldn't hear him. Why did it have to spawn at the side it had vanished from? Why couldn't he have just completed this endeavor, and now continue enjoying his questing?

Link ran at full sprint down the catwalk, slamming into one of the columns and hefting himself up. He quickly checked the flames to make sure they couldn't get him, scowling as the inferno passed slowly beneath him. The fire licked at his boots, but it did no harm to him as it glided onward, guided by an invisible magic force.

Link then turned his attention backed to the locked door, only to be horrified as neither the lock nor the shadowy object remained. Surprised, he stumbled off his column and landed back on the catwalk. He curiously walked to the edge of the metal floor, before pushing aside his astonishment and jumping onto the platform where the shadows once accumulated.

"What in Hyrule was it?" Navi wondered, watching her Hero trace his foot across the bricks in front of the door in search of anything that might remain of the blackness.

"I didn't get a good look," Link muttered, now turning his attention to the door. He searched for the lock, but it was also nowhere to be found. This was the only time he found himself hating that dungeon doors did that: left no traces of anything that once bound them shut. It made detective work quite difficult. "I'd say it was a figment of our imagination if it weren't for the fact that this door is no longer locked."

"Or a monster, but it never attacked you," Navi said, joining in on the speculation. "It opened the way instead."

Link poked the door suspiciously with his sword, before he finally decided to open it. Behind him, doing her best to keep up, Navi was angrily muttering to herself.

"Where in Hyrule is Link when you need him?!"

. . . . .

Off on his own little adventure once again, Link, the Hero of Twilight, had bypassed a maze of fire that sparked whenever he stepped too close. Having traveled through Arbiter's Grounds, he was quite familiar with obstacles that randomly appeared to kill Heroes if they dared enter. He wasn't too fazed by this minor setback, and instead chose to cling to the right wall, since he had spotted another door. He still had a spare key if he needed it, so that was good.

From the two Gorons he had rescued, he had learned very crucial information. The first, who had been locked in the room where he had gone his separate way from the Hero of Time, informed him of a creature that would dance as it attacked. Apparently, arrows would do no damage to this ballet-loving baddie, so he was simply going to have to use bombs. The second seemed more fun anyway. Blowing up villains was quite entertaining, after all.

The second Goron told him to play his Ocarina if he ever found a place that he could see on his map but not gain access to. He had tried this, rattling off every melody he knew, including the songs he had howled as a beast. However, after the attempt had been fruitless, he simply transformed into a wolf and borrowed the help of Midna to leap incredible distances. He then climbed onto some strange floating platform that led him to a small room with a Skulltula waiting in his path.

Once he had murdered the creature, he learned that it was rare, and it gave him a gold token, for whatever reason. He then killed a second after he had ascended and exited the room, transforming back into a wolf after stealing the token. He used his bestial form to step on a switch and dart toward a waiting treasure chest. Nosing it open, he laid claim to an astounding two hundred rupees.

He then tripped over himself on the way down and fell into a considerable hole, landing smack dab in the middle of a sketchy looking bridge suspended between two doors. An eyeball switch had been shot and was now closed, but to his left was a pedestal that allowed him to recover his one measly lost heart. He then trotted toward the door at the end of the path, returned to his shape as a human, walked through, and transformed back into a beast.

The only thing that distressed him as he explored was the fact that he had heard the Hero of Time and that prying fairy, but was already mid-transformation back into a human to use his key and unlock the door he had just spotted. Even the wall of fire, though surprising, wasn't enough to deter him. It was just that he had been within half a second of revealing his identity as that wolf, and the amount of questions it would raise wasn't something he wanted to deal with.

Still in human form now and not daring to take any chances, Link trotted to the far end of the new room and threw open a large but simple wooden chest, green light greeting his eyes and blinding him. He seized the contents, lifting a Compass from the container and holding it out in front of him.

 _I found the Compass!_ Link thought delightedly. _Now I can see the locations of many hidden things in the dungeon!_

"That's wonderful," Midna commented in a bored tone, floating out of Link's shadow but remaining in her intangible form. Her dark body seemed to flicker in the light of the two blazing braziers in front of Link, but she didn't particularly care. "Now we can find all the chests, but not know if they're in this room or not."

Link didn't really mind, holding out his completely blank map and staring at the places where the Compass told him chests were. However, as he looked at the paper, his mood went from vague pleasantness to confusion and seriousness. He glanced at the Compass, then back at the paper, before a knowing look flashed across his face.

"Look!" he said, pointing to the green dot maneuvering in no predictable pattern away from him. "It's Link!"

"He looks lost," Midna noted.

"Yeah, but he's making more progress than us!" Link said, quickly stuffing the Compass into his pouch and sprinting down the dark cave-like area that resembled one of the many dungeons the Gorons were typically locked inside. He flung open the door, once again greeted by the roar of flames and an army of boulders doing whatever they felt like.

Link quite despised those things, his expression murderous as he followed along the movements of several with his eyes. His body somewhat ached as he distinctly remembered being crashed into by one of them from the labyrinthine room; after having exited the room where he had departed from the Hero of Time, he was greeted by that leering stone face, only to be slammed to the ground by an evil boulder with no manners.

It had cracked one of his Heart Containers and made him temporarily black out, but after he regained consciousness, he had a good time yelling at it before transforming into a wolf. He was too annoyed to just run around through the maze, so he had leapt onto the stupid boulder and sprung onto the top part of the labyrinth, proceeding to free the Gorons. He didn't have the patience to waste time wandering in circles.

"They're speeding around alarmingly fast for something on flat ground. Perhaps they're enchanted," Link muttered, trekking past them and avoiding several flames.

"Thanks Ganon," Midna mocked sarcastically.

Link snickered, glancing down at where the Compass indicated the Hero of Time was and doing his best to locate his fellow adventurer. He didn't wander too far from the left wall, dashing as quietly as possible across a chain-link path connected to a strange stone pillar to his right. That was odd…

He didn't dwell near the pillar, having spotted his Hylian companion at the far end of the room. Grin spreading on his face, he began to sneak over, weaving in and out of the random flames that sparked between an army of posts. He darted to the right after almost searing his eyebrows off, scampered along that wall, made a sharp left, and then widely arced and zigzagged back around to the right wall.

"…bet you ten rupees that Link has the key," the Hero of Time was saying, his back turned to said Link as he stared loathingly at a locked door.

In that moment, the Hero of Twilight faced a problem; he had too many things he wanted to do to his poor friend. Would it be better to comment, _I bet he does_ , or _I don't know…maybe we should ask him_? Perhaps he should say, _You guessed right! Here, have a free key!_ Would it be more entertaining to wordlessly walk up and unlock the door for his friend, or just toss the key at the Hylian Hero's feet?

Link chose instead to carry out a very different alternative, chuckling internally as he silently retrieved the key from his pouch and decided to swiftly throw it exactly where it belonged: at the Hero of Time's head. Since he was only five feet away, it was easy to hit his mark. Too bad for the Hylian Hero, it would also make it sting more.

The key smacked dead center in the back of the Hero of Time's head, causing him to cough as he flinched. In a split second, he had drawn his sword and shield, rounding on Link with a serious look in his eyes. The expression made it seem like he was ready to strike down a monster, which the Hero of Twilight technically was. Even so, he instantly lowered his weapons, his powerful and alert countenance now replacing with curiosity as he stared at the last person he had been expecting.

Link grinned at him, arms folded proudly as he stood tall. All the Hero of Time could seem to do was blink, trying to process what exactly had happened. He only seemed to reach one conclusion.

"Did you just punch me in the head?"

Link snickered. "Nope."

The Hero of Time gave Link a look of suspicion, reaching up and rubbing the back of his head as he stared at the obviously guilty Hero of Twilight. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by his fairy companion.

Navi began dive-bombing Link's face, aiming for his head like he had done to her master. She was making strange noises at him, clearly outraged. Link couldn't fathom why. Surely she would have gotten used to his horsing around by now, right? He may have tossed the key at the Hero of Time, but it was no different than walking up and lightly punching the Hylian Hero in the shoulder.

The pieces suddenly clicked together in Link's mind, realization dawning on him that Navi was fairly tolerant of any silliness he enjoyed, as long as it was not to the detriment of the Hero of Time's health; she was his friend, and she was willing to defend him from anything even if she was smaller than _all_ of her Hylian's problems. How sweet…she was like a mother to him.

 _Is it because he doesn't have a mother?_ Link found himself wondering.

"Where have you been?!" Navi demanded, smacking Link in the face and distracting him from his thoughts. "Do you have to keep sneaking up on us? Can't you just walk up and clear your throat, or call a cheery 'Hello!' or do _anything_ else? Did you _have_ to hit Link upside the head?"

"Hey," Link protested, pushing her away from him and rubbing his cheek. Her assault wasn't exactly painful, no stronger than if a dragonfly had flown into him. However, it sent strange power through his face, like heat and gentle flames that transitioned to a dull tingling. "I wanted to determine if Link remains constantly vigilant. Besides, where would be the fun in greeting him like a _normal_ Hylian?"

"Heroes don't have fun," Navi hissed at him. "Not like your fun, at least. They don't go around attacking—"

"I did not attack him," Link interrupted. "I was _helping_ him."

"By punching me?" the Hero of Time asked, his voice pleading pathetically for an explanation. His attitude normally wasn't so weak and needy, so Link concluded that it was a playful exaggeration hiding legitimate curiosity and confusion.

"Yes," Link agreed. "You needed to be punched. I thought none better than myself for the occasion, so I decided to helpfully volunteer myself for the betterment of your life."

"Thanks," the Hero of Time muttered.

He was probably very surprised when Link grabbed the back of his head and pushed down, forcing the Hylian Hero to look at the ground. Immediately, the Hero of Time reached up and grabbed Link's hand, ready to throw him off, but he stopped. His eyes had perceived a shiny key lying on the volcanic floor.

"Oh, is that what hit me?" the Hero of Time wondered, reaching down and seizing the key.

"Probably," Link said innocently, snickering as Navi once again dive-bombed his face. He waved her away as the Hylian Hero unlocked the door, allowing them both access to the new room. He followed his friend, the fairy leaping onto his shoulder as he chased her master.

They had entered a corridor with walls of clay bricks with flame designs impressed in the surface. To their right, a long wall of prison bars prevented them from freeing another Goron. Both Links marched over, but they couldn't perceive the switch to release the rock-man anywhere nearby.

"It's in another room, perhaps," Link suggested, pointing to the door at the end of the hall. "Shall we proceed?"

"Yeah. The sooner we release him, the better," the Hero of Time agreed, accompanying Link as he exited and now led the way to the next part of the dungeon.

The two found themselves once again in the room full of posts that sparked with walls of flame. Both curiously looked around, only to see that they were now simply on the other side of the confinement, but still trapped in the maze of heat regardless. Beyond them, a switch waited patiently to be pressed.

"Well, that's just brilliant," Navi murmured.

The Hero of Time ventured to the left, only for an inferno to rise up in an attempt to scorch his eyebrows. He rubbed his face with his forearm as Link sprinted off to the right and began maneuvering around, checking the base of every post and watching the flames spark. He shot back several times before finding the course and giving a wide berth to the thick pillar carved with more of those horrific stone faces.

It shot a column of flame at him, but he ignored it and proceeded to scamper around another wall of heat. He stood at the base of the switch, the Hero of Time right behind him. His friend had wisely used him as a guide.

"How did you do that so well?" the Hero of Time asked.

"One of the dungeons I was in—an actual _dungeon_ , not just a simple building—would launch spikes out of the floor," Link explained. "Burns are awful, but being impaled through your foot and up into your body is significantly more agonizing."

The Hero of Time winced, but Link wasn't too concerned. He stepped on the switch on the ground, wondering to himself if it was going to free that little Goron. However, the result he received instead was that the enormous wall of fire that blazed across the entirety of the left wall now flickered out. He stared at it, eyes scanning the four pillars that supported the ceiling high above and focusing on the stone face embossed above what looked like an entryway. These things were all built strategically on a stone stage, which had been hidden from sight by the flames.

A ticking noise became distinctly audible to the two long-eared adventurers, causing the Hero of Time to begin sprinting toward the stage.

"Wait!" Link called out after him, extending his hand.

"AAAAH!" the Hero of Time cried out, thrown back by a different barrier of flame between two posts that bordered the stage.

Link winced, empathetically feeling his friend's pain. "Why don't you walk slower, examine the posts, and locate the path?" he suggested. "When you arrive at the wall, I'll step back on the switch for you, and you can climb onto the stage without concern. I'll follow you immediately afterwards."

The Hero of Time trudged over, nodding in agreement as he began to attempt to locate the true path. He didn't remain quiet, however, and instead decided to hold a conversation with the Hero of Twilight as he worked.

"So what were you doing while you were off on your little mini adventure?"

Link waited by the switch. "I got attacked by those boulders in that labyrinth, so I climbed atop the walls and explored what was above. I blew a square hole into the floor with my bombs, freed the Goron we met together, and then learned of a monster that dances with flames and cannot be harmed by arrows. He must be injured by explosives."

"We have plenty of those," the Hero of Time said cheerily as he ventured to the left, then walked forward without interruption.

"Indeed. After acquiring the small key in the chest, I proceeded to ascend the hole and resume traversing the top of the labyrinth, stepping on another switch, and releasing another Goron. He informed me that if I see anywhere on my map that I cannot reach, I must play my Ocarina. I located one such area, and though I played every tune I knew, it did not permit me access."

"That's because you're an awful instrumentalist," the Hero of Time mocked, now waiting patiently at the wall of flame that Link needed to deactivate.

"Hey, I found the Gorons first, so zip it," Link retorted, stepping on the switch.

His friend leapt onto the stage, Link sprinting along the floor in the same place the Hero of Time had already traveled. He arrived only seconds afterward, springing onto the platform and dashing to the door that would allow them access to a room waiting patiently to be explored.

He had been sniffing too much Poe's Scent, it seemed. The second he grabbed the handle, the door actually _moved_.

 _Am I seeing things?_ Link wondered, watching as it shook from side to side. However, his disbelief was quickly quelled as the possessed door fell forward and whacked him on top of the head. Why was this thing so _flexible_ , like paper?

"What in Hyrule…?" Link muttered, his Heart Container's rhythms now changing as he stumbled back and covered his head with his arms. "That hurt…"

"Oh yeah…" the Hero of Time mumbled. He reached into his belt and tossed an explosive at the rogue door. "I met a Goron in your absence who said that there are doors that exist just to crush you. You need to blow them up."

"Thanks!" Link snapped. "I told you about my Gorons, and you didn't inform me of yours?"

"It's payback for hitting me in the back of the head earlier," the Hero of Time retorted, his bomb blasting the door to smithereens. Interestingly, the wall also detonated, revealing another passageway just beyond it bearing a door engraved with a relief. "Let's go!"

"Wait…" Navi began before the Links could enter the new structure. Both of them stopped in their tracks, turning back to look at her simultaneously, as if they had rehearsed it. "Link, before we continue, I wanted to ask you something."

The fact that she drifted over to the Hero of Twilight told him that _he_ was the one she was referring to, not her Hylian.

"Proceed with your inquiry," he said, his tone becoming much more serious to match her own.

"It dawned on me just now that you collected two keys from the Gorons, am I correct?"

"It is so."

"Did you unlock the door in the room with the wall of fire?"

Link suddenly understood what she was asking. Navi had seen him transform back into his human form!

 _But she hasn't asked me about my bestial form…_ Link thought. _Neither of them have…_ He considered that, his mind working as fast as he could make it, so that he could respond without seeming suspicious. _Maybe… Yes, perhaps they never saw my wolf side, and only my shadow form. Or perhaps my wolf side and my shadows, but not my human side. Hmm… I believe it's the latter, since she had to ask confirmation that I did indeed unlock the door._

"I did indeed," Link confirmed, before he began to fabricate an intricate lie. "I perceived a strange shadowy creature in front of the door, so I chased after it and followed it to the next room. However, the moment it drifted into one of the fires, it vanished and left nothing behind. I searched the path to the right to find it, but I did not see it. When I reunited with you, I simply assumed its presence had been erased completely."

"Oh," Navi said. "Okay. I just didn't understand how the door could have unlocked, despite Link and I not seeing you anywhere nearby. And you had the key, so I couldn't fathom how the beast could have unlocked it."

"You must have looked down as I leapt onto the platform and entered the door."

"The only think I'm curious about," the Hero of Time interjected, "is how you ran soundlessly across that metal floor. I understand that I wouldn't see you, since I _was_ looking in a different direction, but I definitely would have heard you."

"Perhaps the sound was masked by your own footsteps?" Link suggested.

The Hero of Time considered that momentarily before his expression softened. "Yeah, that could be it. I mean, there's no other way to explain this, now is there?"

"I know of none," Link agreed. "Shall we continue our quest?"

"Yes, sorry to keep you," Navi said. "I just wanted to understand what had happened, as well as see if you were aware of the dangers lurking elsewhere in this Temple. Come, Link." She drifted toward the door, which her Hylian threw open.

Link followed along behind them, and though he was smiling, he felt everything _but_ happiness. Regardless, even if it was just for a short while longer, he had managed to preserve his secret.

From this moment onward, he would need to proceed with extreme caution. Otherwise, he soon wouldn't have a secret to protect.

 **A/N: For those of you wondering what the "personal project" is—or I should say, "For those of you who** _ **care**_ **"—I wrote a book. An actual book. This fanfiction here is 182 Word Document pages, and my book is about 339 pages. It's much more polished, more understandable, and quite different. The reason it's still an ongoing project is because I seem to obsess over lengthy things, so it's part of a series. Of course, I don't know if any of you are actually interested, so I'm a bit reluctant to share its name. I mean, if you want to read it, I'll tell you what it's called and where to find it, in an A/N, but in the next chapter. If you're not interested, then I fully understand. I also accept your hesitation to forgive me and my long hiatus here. I just wanted to let you guys know all this stuff. Anyway, it's nice to finally be here again!**


	18. Hyrule's Beautiful Hammer

**A/N: See? I came back relatively quick, as promised. Anyway, I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of its characters.**

 **Twilight Princess Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Seventeen

Hyrule's Beautiful Hammer

Link wanted to attend the meetings evil villains went to. All of them seemed to have the same maniacal, disturbing laughter, and if he could just convince one of them to teach him, he could blend in perfectly. Who could he bribe to accomplish this?

Besides, it would terrify all of his enemies to see the _Hero_ displaying the characteristics of the villains. He already had the body of a beast; why couldn't he acquire the laugh, too? And how much more creepy would the sound become in that bestial form?

 _Wait…I could just ask Midna to teach me,_ Link thought to himself, now standing beside the Hero of Time, their backs to the door. Their entryway had been barred the moment they entered, door slamming shut and confining them to a fairly large but plain room with a square platform in the center. A ring of fire blazed atop it, and from it a strange orange figure had emerged, spinning and rising from the inferno while producing evil laughter Link wanted to mimic.

The creature they now faced somersaulted from the platform, landing off to the Heroes' right and causing both to draw their weapons. At first glance, the foe resembled a scarecrow, but that impression died instantly. He was significantly taller and made of pure heat, with arms and legs that tapered into points capped by blades. Striped fire pants seemed to flare out around his peg-like legs. His solid black head had red markings painted onto it, and a pair of evil green eyes glowed menacingly from the inferno that comprised what would normally have been hair.

"What in the name of the Great Deku Tree?" the Hero of Time demanded.

"Flare Dancer," Navi explained. "Extinguish its flaming clothes first…"

"Blow it up!" Link declared, throwing a bomb at it since he knew it would never teach him that awesome laugh. Besides, one of the Gorons had warned him not too long ago that arrows were meaningless to dancing monsters; detonations were required to immobilize the beast.

The creature did an exceedingly long pirouette before quickly gliding away, its blade feet scraping across the floor as blue flames erupted all around it. The little fireballs then began to chase the Heroes as their creator circled the room.

Fortunately, the Flare Dancer didn't seem too concerned with where he traveled, and ended up skating straight into the blast radius of Link's bomb. Shrapnel slammed into the monster, causing it to give a strange cry as its fiery body sputtered out and its head dropped to the ground.

Much to the surprise of both Links, the little gremlin suddenly sprouted legs, and the Hero of Twilight was forced to rethink his entire assumption of the creature. That big blocky structure wasn't a head; it was the tiny monster's body. It simply had no arms…just legs. And its actual head was so small that its _eyes_ were bigger.

Navi turned yellow as she zipped over to the little creature, chasing after it as her Hero pursued it without question, but his expression showed that he was just as confused as Link. The Hero of Twilight chose to dash in the opposite direction from his companion, skidding to a halt in front of it. The creature yelped and whirled around, only to be greeted by the sharpened blade of the Master Sword wielded by the Hero of Time. It was then assaulted from behind by the Hero of Twilight.

The Flare Dancer quickly ducked out of their grasp, flinging himself back into the fire circle nearby. He laughed as he spiraled back to a more significant body, apparently thinking that he would now have a distinct advantage over the Heroes. Didn't he realize he had already been harmed by them before? Silly monster.

However, perhaps he did have a better chance to defeat them; he had changed his appearance. Well, his color at least. He now burned a beautiful periwinkle, still doing his crazy pirouettes.

The Hero of Time tossed a bomb remorselessly at the monster's head, blowing it up before it could even continue its strange circling. The little gremlin body dropped back to the ground, pursued by the two Heroes as they tried to quickly end its life. A single Jump Attack by Link caused it to spring back into the fire, the coward.

Once more, the Flare Dancer whirled into existence, green flames comprising its outfit.

"That's my color, you fiend!" Link snarled, drawing out his Clawshot and firing it at the creature. The metal quickly compressed, the creature's tiny head now trapped in the steel clutches of Link's tool as he pulled it toward him. "There can only be one!"

Unfortunately, the Hero of Time had already arrived at Link's side, impaling the monster with his sword before the Hero of Twilight could draw his weapon again. The beast began to swell to several times its original size, body flashing dangerously.

Both Links understood exactly what was happening, quickly darting away as it detonated in the air. The fire ring that had generated its clothing also sputtered out, and the bars over the door lifted. The pair were free to do whatever they wanted now.

"I caught him, and I didn't even get to deal the final blow…" Link grumbled to his friend, but he meant it in the most playful way.

"Poor, poor Link," the Hero of Time teased, sauntering over to the dais.

Link beat him to the stage, leaping onto its edge. As with everything else, it was carved with a relief of those creepy stone faces, but that didn't bother him as much as the fact that this thing was _already_ moving. He was almost brought to the ground with the sudden motion, a timid yelp coming from his friend as the stone lifted magically from the floor.

"Wait, wait! I was kidding! I'm sorry!" the Hero of Time called from below, watching Link's block disappear into the ceiling. "Wait for me!"

It wasn't exactly like Link _could_ wait. He was carried without his consent to the top of the room, stone square sliding perfectly through an enormous hole and delivering him unharmed to a new location. He stepped off, allowing the stage to plummet back to the ground below. He then slowly approached the door, but faithfully waited for his companion to join him.

The red hat of the Hero of Time was the first thing Link saw of his friend, offering his hand to his companion as the Hylian Hero ascended. However, since the elevator was moving so quickly, the gesture wasn't necessary.

"You actually waited?" Navi asked as Link allowed his hand to fall back to his side. "I thought you would just leap at any chance to venture off on your own."

"He asked me to wait for him," Link replied simply, turning to face the door and opening it for the pair of them. He trudged into the new room, the change in color somewhat aggravating his eyes. He had grown quite accustomed to the faded tones of red and orange, so seeing the dulled hue of green was difficult to handle immediately.

A wall of bricks was all that lay to his left, but his right had a path that branched out of sight, and a clear diamond switch was within arm's reach. Link stabbed the jewel with his sword, joined by the Hero of Time in a race to see what was around the corner that required the switch. They spotted a chain-link fence, with nothing else in sight. Without wasting any time, both leapt onto it and began to ascend.

As usual, the Hero of Time was faster, leaving Link in the dust. He quickly reached the top, running forward as fast as possible for the second climbable wall. Much to his displeasure, the timer on their diamond switch ran out, the yellow interior turning back to dull silver.

"Agh!" the Hero of Time complained, just as Link finished pulling himself to his feet. He whirled around, facing the Hero of Twilight. A ring of fire blazed at his back, encircling the path and preventing him from continuing onward. "Can you go down there and hit the switch for me?"

"And let you abandon me again?" Link inquired, brushing himself off.

"I won't leave until you're up there with me!" the Hero of Time assured.

"Fine…" Link grumbled, disappointed with the fact that he'd had to climb up only to immediately jump back down again. It dawned on him that he could simply drop a bomb and just blow it up, but a shadow flickered near the switch, and the translucent form of Midna waited for him to join her. She wanted to talk to him in private.

Link dropped down to the floor below, his impish companion floating over and whispering in his ear.

"Hey…did you forget about your Clawshot?" she asked. "Why don't you just use it after you flick the switch, and then pull yourself up from your place right here to climb the metal?"

Link stared blankly at her before he frowned. "I guess it just never dawned on me since Link never uses _his_ one to climb it either," he whispered.

"Use your head, you dummy," Midna hissed, falling into his shadow as he prodded the switch with his sword once again.

 _Probably the nicest thing she's said to me all day,_ Link thought sarcastically, drawing his Clawshot from his belt and aiming for the chain-link fence his friend was beginning to climb. _Though, she's right. I should have thought of this a little while ago, but I suppose it doesn't matter now._

Link's dissatisfaction was quelled by his smugness as he landed on a part of the wall above the Hero of Time, who squeaked in surprise. As quickly as his body would allow him to move, Link scurried up the wall and darted to the side, landing on the next part of the room.

"What did you just do?" his friend called as he chased him into the next room.

"Used my nifty Clawshot. I told you it was better than your Hookshot," Link teased. However, he quelled his playfulness as he sized up the new room, which didn't look like it was going to be fun. To his right, an enormous wall rose up proudly, while his left was constructed with gigantic stairs several yards long. A smaller staircase was built onto the side of the enormous one, but the path was significantly thinner. An army of Fire Keese flew purposelessly through the air, gliding over a bottomless pit big enough to comfortably fit several Kokiri houses inside.

Link groaned before trudging over to a mysterious stone face in the floor. It resembled a switch, but he didn't understand why it would look different than all the others. Was it a death trap? He looked up at the tall wall that comprised the first step, spotting a more proper switch atop the platform. He stared between the two. What could this one possibly do?

The Hero of Time, apparently not possessing the proper weapons to mess with the relief face, boldly charged toward the wall instead. He sprang into the air, hefting himself onto the platform without hesitation.

Disregarding the hole, Link pursued his friend, also effortlessly ascending the stage. The pair looked between the two paths, then spied the inferno the steps led to. Four braziers blazed with orange and yellow flames, a Fire Keese flying around a circle of heat within the square created by the pillars.

"A chest?" Link guessed.

"Race you for it!" the Hero of Time proclaimed, stomping on the switch and not even bothering to watch the ring of fire sputter out. Deciding to be a daredevil, he raced along the smaller path.

But Link was a daredevil too, springing after his friend and doing his best to stay away from the enormous and seemingly bottomless pit. The path thinned significantly, forcing the Hero of Time to slow down or accidentally stumble off. To their left, a large boulder separated the path from the enormous stairs, preventing him from simply taking the wider course. It was a gap Link hadn't noticed from the ground, but didn't necessarily care about.

He proceeded onward regardless, not fazed by the skinnier route. He was used to sprinting across tiny walkways, especially as a wolf. The only thing that bothered him was his companion in his way.

"Move, Link!" Link declared, leaping a portion of the angled stairs and ending up in front of his friend as a Fire Keese noticed the pair and charged them. He ducked beneath it, his companion hesitating behind him and poking the nuisance with the Master Sword. Though it had only been a minor delay, it was enough to allow the Hero of Twilight to win the race, and access the large treasure chest waiting promisingly for him.

He skittered over the bricks, entering the magnificent square and quickly tossing open the lid. Gold light tried to blind him, but he was too excited for whatever lay within it, reaching in and fetching the contents.

 _Oof, it's heavy…_ Link thought to himself as he lifted it and held it in front of him.

The Hero of Time furiously dispatched another Keese, only to look up as he heard the odd noise of delight Link made involuntarily. He stared at what his friend held, only to blink several times in surprise as he spotted the strange object rotating in the Hero of Twilight's possession. A long shaft was bound in leather at the handle, widening before instantly tapering at the opposing end. A large, three inch thick disk studded with rivets opposed an equally thick but smaller triangle that seemed somewhat flat.

"OH MY HYRULIAN GODDESSES IS THAT A HAMMER?!" the Hero of Time demanded, now speeding up to get a better look.

"It is!" Link replied immediately. "I found the Megaton Hammer!"

"I want it!"

"It can smash and break junk! But…" As Link held it, it dragged his hands to the ground, causing him to grunt. "It's so heavy, I'll need to use two hands to swing it!"

"THAT HAMMER IS MINE, YOU LITTLE SCOUNDREL!" the Hero of Time thundered.

Link laughed. "Come and get it!" he declared, darting off the edge of the raised platform and landing at the door he had originally entered the room through. He stared at the face relief on the floor, spinning the Hammer in his hands and slamming its steel iron surface into the switch. A shockwave of energy rippled from his weapon, causing the relief to tremble and sink into the ground. "I am in _love_!" he announced.

"GIVE IT!"

Link glanced back at his companion, using the Hero of Time's strategy and leaping before he dared to look. There was _no way_ he was just going to give up this magnificent new tool. He spotted a column in the top left corner of the room, the statue seemingly mocking him as he realized that there was no exit to this little box; all of the walls were made of brick, and there was no way out other than up.

 _Unless…_ Link thought, his mind working as fast as possible so he could keep his toy. He darted over to the pillar, using both hands to smash the Hammer's iron surface into the base of the column. The bottom was launched free, shrinking for no apparent reason and disappearing into white powder. Link slung his arms, and consequently his weapon, back to a more manageable position.

"Yaaaaa!" he heard behind him as the Hero of Time dropped into the room with him.

Link quickly batted the head of the pillar out of his way and pocketed the Hammer, sprinting towards the door, flinging it open, and slamming it shut in his companion's face. Unfortunately, it seemed his fun was about to end here. A horde of Fire Keese zipped through the air, no doubt having ignited themselves from the torch at the far end of the room, near the wall. The path branched off to the right, so Link quickly scurried that direction and disregarded the monsters so he could keep his new item for even a moment longer.

Another column to be destroyed by his Hammer was below him, an entire section of the floor placed lower than the rest. He quickly whipped out his toy, Fire Keese now diving to attack him as he slammed the Hammer into the face of the column.

"LIIIINK!" the Hero of Time roared. He thundered towards the Hero of Twilight, who had leapt off the high platform and onto the lower one. The ground began to tremble, enormous stairs dropping lower into the floor and inviting Link to continue fleeing.

"Go get your own Hammer!" Link shouted as he raced away.

"That _is_ my Hammer, you big meanie!" The Hero of Time was right on his tail, no more than four feet away.

 _Oh no!_ Link thought as he spotted one of those evil switches that required someone to weigh them down to remain activated. Mind working furiously, he darted to the side and slightly sprung over it, chased by his friend. The Hero of Time's foot came down on the switch the second Link reached the barred door that it would unlock, sending the barricade into the ceiling.

"Thank you!" Link called as he threw it open, the door immediately closing behind him before his companion could join him. Now in the new room, he found himself greeted by a brick wall to his left and directly in front of him, but to his right he spotted another switch that required the Hammer.

"Just give him the Hammer and use your Iron Boots," Midna commented in a bored tone as Link stood on and smashed the switch into the floor. "You're going to need to reunite with him eventually. Besides, this is from _his_ time; the Hammer belongs to _him_."

"Shush, Midna," Link replied as the switch trembled below him, plunging him downward. He was somewhat surprised as it dropped him significantly farther than he had predicted, but the fall didn't harm him so he wasn't too concerned. He spotted a barred door directly in front of him, causing him to leap onto the platform he had dropped past.

His mind managed to process—from two glances that he stole as he ascended—that he was once again in the room with the army of posts that sparked with walls of flame like an invisible labyrinth. He scurried to his feet, looking to the switch on his right and slamming his Hammer into its rusted surface.

The bars of the door rose up, allowing him access to the next part of the dungeon. The Hero of Time still had yet to catch up, which was quite pleasant. However, the fun and games ended there, because the second Link entered the next room, he found that he needed the assistance of the other Hero.

He was back in the room where he and the Hero of Time had temporarily bypassed the little Goron immediately before stumbling across the second fire labyrinth. The rock-man was still trembling behind the wall of bars, but the wideness of the corridor prevented Link from simply leaping across to the other side. He wanted to examine the suspicious blue cube embossed with the design of the Temple of Time, its enormous surface jutting awkwardly from the ground. No doubt it was hiding the switch to free the Goron.

"Midna," Link called.

"I can't warp that, Link," his companion replied, separating herself from his shadow and hovering before him. "Especially not such a short distance. It would be a mockery of my Twilit power, and a waste of energy."

"Then can you throw it?"

"Throw it yourself."

Link, deciding that he did _not_ want to do that, quickly whipped out his Ocarina, racking his brain to recall the melody the Hero of Time had played to move the stone once before. He played some notes, but he couldn't finish the tune. He just didn't remember.

"Let him have the Hammer," Midna insisted. "You have the Iron Boots, _and_ the Ball and Chain. Give him what is his, Link."

Link snorted at her, then turned back to the door. "Fine." He didn't need to exit, however, because just then, the Hero of Time opened it and walked in.

"Give me…the Hammer…" the Hylian Hero commanded, looking tired from all the running. Even so, there was a determined fire blazing in his eyes. Link had seen the same look many times over from the village children, when they wanted something so badly they were willing to do anything to get it. Now that he thought about it, wasn't the Hero of Time a kid in an adult's body?

Link stared at his friend, tightly gripping the handle with a cheeky look of suspicion on his face. "Now why would I do that? I acquired it honestly."

The Hero of Time launched forward, fingers locking around the handle and bringing him within inches of Link's face. "I killed the monsters! This is mine!"

"You wouldn't _let_ me kill the monsters!" Link retorted, pulling on the shaft and almost tugging the pair off the roof. "We earned this together!"

"You have those nifty boots to trigger switches! Give me the Hammer!"

"So? Boots and Hammers aren't even close to the same thing!"

The Hero of Time grunted as he jerked himself back, dragging the pair back toward the door. "You have that big sphere, too! With the spikes! On a chain! Give me!"

Link glanced up, spotting Navi circling the pair. She seemed to be impartial to their squabble, knowing that Link had certainly fairly acquired the tool, but wanting to side with her master who had vanquished the beasts guarding it. She wisely chose to stay out of the matter altogether. Apparently, getting flattened by the Hammer wasn't on her agenda.

A single red eye glowered at Link from behind the Hero of Time, the shadowy form of Midna staring unamused at her Hero. She indicated a decapitation movement, then soundlessly smashed her tiny fist into her palm. She tapped her foot in the air impatiently, then mimed yawning. If Navi hadn't been so focused on the blue cube a short distance away, the imp's cover would have been blown, but she didn't seem to care.

Link frowned back at her, before glaring at the Hero of Time and ceasing to pull. However, he wasn't mean enough to just release the shaft and let the Hylian Hero smack himself in the face with the Megaton Hammer. Not this time, at least.

"Fine, you can have your Hammer…" he commented irritably, slowly releasing the iron and allowing his companion to claim it. His friend triumphantly lifted it above his head, dancing in a circle.

"I GOT MY HAMMER!" he cheered. "HAHA! Best. Item. Ever."

"I'm taking _six_ objects from your grave now," Link said, pointing at the Hero of Time.

"Is the Hammer one of them?"

"Yes."

"Then no. I'm taking this with me through death itself! It's my treasure, forever!"

"You'll be _dead_! You won't even need it!"

"Are you kidding?" the Hero of Time looked horrified. "I'll be building stuff and breaking stuff, even when I'm dead! And if your ghost seeks out mine to get this from me, then I'll smash _you_ with it."

"You can't kill a ghost," Link argued.

"Boys," Navi said. "We have a Goron to free."

"I let you catch up to me," Link snorted tauntingly at his companion, who looked over at the other side.

"More like you got stuck," the Hero of Time commented, pulling out the Ocarina and playing a strange melody. Instantly, the cube was engulfed in a ring of pure blue light, vanishing from directly ahead of them and appearing instead on the ground, bridging the gap.

Link leapt onto the cube first, strutting across it before springing to the other side of the room. He hefted himself to his feet and marched over to the switch that now waited where the cube once lay. He stepped onto it, equipping his Iron Boots and allowing it to settle into the ground.

Immediately, the wall of bars slid aside, permitting the Goron access to the outside world. The Hero of Time dropped down to speak with him, accompanied seconds later by Link.

"Are you releasing me? Am I free to go?" the Goron asked as he regarded the two Heroes. "I'll tell you a secret for saving me! A door is hidden inside the statue at the entrance to this temple. But…the Goron 'special crop' won't work on it… Don't you have anything stronger?"

Link stared daggers at his friend. "Indeed he does."

The Goron, delighted with this information, departed without another word and left the two Links alone in the dungeon. The Hero of Time regarded the Hero of Twilight, gesturing to the small wooden chest.

"Want the key?"

Link still stared resentfully, but the look wasn't serious. It _was_ just a Hammer, after all, but the fact that it released shockwaves made it that much harder to give up. It was two of his weapons put together in a cooler form, with more capabilities.

 _Oh well._ I _can walk on the ceiling,_ Link thought as he trudged over to the chest and kicked it open as usual, retrieving another shiny key. _And smash stuff a significant distance from myself. Mine are more beneficial._

"I might let you borrow it every now and again," the Hero of Time suggested.

"No," Link said immediately, surprising his friend and the fairy. "I have better weapons anyway. I'll prove to you that mine are superior."

"Better than a Hammer?" the Hero of Time inquired as he followed Link back out the way they had come. "No such thing."

"There is so," Link insisted, now running with a bit more of a spring in his step. At least he didn't have to lug around one more impossibly heavy object. In front of him, an enormous pillar was locked in place, pinned perfectly by the roof of a gazebo. The Hero of Time leapt onto it, excitedly swinging the Hammer as Link also stepped onto it and equipped his Iron Boots.

The column shuddered, rattling both Links' metal items as the floor suddenly plummeted.

"HWAAAAAA- _AAAA_ -AAAAHH!" the Hero of Time screamed, his cry echoed in a slightly different way by the Hero of Twilight as Link quickly tried to take his Boots off midair.

They both miraculously landed unharmed on the pillar, the platform now rising from the lava and providing a perfect stage to allow them access to the room Darunia had disappeared into. Link distinctly recalled the words of the Goron he had met at the start of this dungeon, the rock-man informing him that he needed to find a way to get the pillar into this very room. It looks like the duo had succeeded in doing just that.

"Good job, Link," Link commented, now completely unfazed by the previous events as he casually patted his companion on the back. "I don't suppose you have the key…?"

The Hero of Time looked to the chained door before he shook his head. "No…but I bet it's accessible by that mysteriously hidden door behind that statue at the entrance."

"I presume you are correct," Link agreed, turning away. "Shall we go fetch it, then?"

"Indeed!" The Hero of Time turned back to the less elaborate door, sprinting off the column and racing away, joined by Link.

Soon enough, they would fetch that key. And then, with the legendary Hammer in their possession—and if all the Gorons were finally freed—they could rush to Darunia's aid. The dragon that Link the Goron had spoken of would be defeated, never able to wreak any more havoc on the beautiful land of Hyrule.

Link just hoped they wouldn't be too late.

. . . . .

 **A/N: The Megaton Hammer actually** _ **isn't**_ **my favorite weapon, but from my observation of little boys, they love hammers. And from all the playful men I've interacted with, they still have a somewhat childish mentality—but more controlled—so I guess these two bored adventurers would be the same. So they're both really immature for hammers. (Honestly, my personal favorite weapon in OoT is probably the Longshot, while in TP it's the Spinner. What about you guys/gals?)**


	19. Dragon Slayers

**A/N: I have nothing better to do, so I'm just going to enjoy my Author's Notes talking about random stuff I think is interesting, stupid, or just semi-important. I'll include credits to people in here too, like when they make suggestions and I acknowledged and incorporated those suggestions. But yeah other than that, just some random nonsense will get muttered in here, and if you're like me, and you like random nonsense, you may find it worth reading. You may not. Who knows? I just hope you enjoy the story, honestly. I love feedback though, so feel free to chew me out if I messed up, or tell me what you thought in general. I just like to know I gave you worthy enough content to think about and actually take time out of your life to consider, as well as comment about. Thank you all so much for your reviews!**

 **Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Eighteen

Dragon Slayers

"I can't believe you boys made such a fuss about a simple Hammer…" Navi grumbled, her body radiating yellow as she targeted another Flare Dancer.

After they had exited the room they dropped the pillar into, they sprinted back down the stairs and veered left. Link had excitedly used his new toy to smash the statue into oblivion, putting every ounce of strength in his body into swinging the oversized Hammer. The Hero of Twilight, clearly quite jealous, rolled his eyes and tossed the key into the locked door and allowed them access to the secret room. That, more or less, led to an entirely new section of dungeon.

Link had used the Hammer to extinguish the fire of four Torch Slugs in the new location, flipping them over with his shockwaves and forcing them to remain completely still. The Hero of Twilight then raced over, performing an odd skill on them by leaping into the air and stabbing his blade into their immobilized bodies, killing them instantly. He further produced his Clawshot and sniped the many Fire Keese in the air.

Even as they darted into a room filled with dreaded demon floor tiles that apparently didn't _want_ to be part of the ground, Link was pleased to have his Hammer. It provided no decent defense against the resentful panels, nor was it a convenient tool to use against the Like Like, but it was his favorite weapon thus far. The other Hero had dispatched the Like Like with some mild complaining as it came incredibly close to eating him. He murdered the Gold Skulltula on the wall, stole its token, and led the charge to the left door where the Heroes now fought.

"We need to enjoy ourselves _somehow_ ," the Hero of Twilight argued to Navi as he tore the tiny plump body of the Flare Dancer from its blazing clothes. Link was instantly at his side, putting his entire body into his Jump Attack with his Hammer. Another shockwave rippled through the air, sending tingles through his hands and legs. The Flare Dancer fled back to his place in the ring of fire, whirling and laughing.

"Quit complaining, Navi," Link told her, trying to spin the Hammer in his grasp like the Hero of Twilight was doing with the Master Sword. "I bet if _you_ were big enough to wield it, you would fight us to have it."

"I'm not interested in your silly toy," Navi muttered. "What is it with you boys and being so obsessed with your tools?"

"Who _wouldn't_ want a giant shockwave Hammer? It can fight people, smash switches, break columns, and flatten anything that gets in our way!"

An enormous polished sphere flew past his head, spikes smacking into the Flare Dancer and bringing it to the ground. Link glanced back to see the Hero of Twilight tug on the chain and return his orb of death to his hands, the weight of it slamming him backwards.

"Mine's better," the Hero of Twilight said, immediately putting it away and charging the blue Flare Dancer.

Link wasn't to be outdone. Wielding his Hammer, he leapt onto the Flare Dancer and smashed it to the ground. As he drew back, the Master Sword of his fellow adventurer slashed at the gremlin, scaring it back into its cozy flame circle. The pair waited.

"Nothing's better than a Hammer," Link commented as the Flare Dancer spiraled into a more substantial body, springing from the flames.

The Hero of Twilight, apparently growing tired of the joke, wordlessly smashed his spiked sphere into their opponent once again, drawing his sword and darting over to the creature to finish the job. Link joined him in extinguishing the life of the fiery gremlin.

The bars on the door lifted behind them as the ring of fire died down, and a small treasure chest materialized on top of the platform. Link leapt onto the platform, throwing open the chest and raising a decent quantity of bombs over his head.

"Not a key," the Hero of Twilight observed. "Strange." He began to meander over to their exit on the right side of the room, opening the door as Link pursued him.

Once again, they had wandered into a dark corridor made of cobblestone and framed with brick pillars. Torches blazed on the walls, and a barricade of bars prevented them from proceeding onward. Another set was beyond the imprisoned Goron. However, as most monsters were quite stupid, the switch was directly in front of the Heroes, rusted over but present nonetheless.

"If your tools are so much better, prove it," Link encouraged the Hero of Twilight, pointing with his Hammer at the switch.

The Hero of Twilight leapt onto it, his Iron Boots bathing in the orange glow of the torches either side of him. The switch shuddered, then dropped into the floor and caused the two rows of bars to slide into opposing walls.

Link entered the small confinement area and eyed the enormous blue treasure chest eagerly. The Hero of Twilight was approaching the Goron to interact with him, so the Hero of Time rested his hands on the ornate gold that covered the chest and threw it open.

"Are you releasing me? Am I free to go?" the Goron inquired of the Hero of Twilight as Link reached into the blinding golden glow.

"Indeed. By request of Darunia, I have come to set you free," the Hylian Hero informed.

"Oh, I see. Big Brother Darunia asked you to rescue me. I owe you big time!"

"No need to trouble yourself."

 _I got the Boss Key!_ Link thought as he pulled out a solid gold key inlaid with a large red ruby between the horns of its diamond-shaped head. _Now I can get inside the chamber where the Boss lurks._

"Please help Big Brother!" the Goron implored the Hero of Twilight, distracting Link from his mental celebrations. He placed the Boss Key in his inventory, standing by the Hylian Hero as the Goron quickly fled the dungeon. The two watched him disappear in silence, before the Hero of Twilight dashed after him and exited the room.

"Now that we have the Key, we can save Darunia," he said as Link followed him. The two found themselves on the opposite side of the stairs from where the Hero of Time smashed the statue into oblivion, which surprised them. They had gone in a complete circle, just to free a single Goron and acquire one Key. Couldn't the Hero of Twilight just magic his way into the room and do it that way? He had done that with everything else, as far as Link was concerned.

Regardless, the two ascended the stairs and turned to the left, entering the lava room where they had dropped the column. The Hero of Twilight, deciding to be a daredevil like Link, sprang over the lava and onto the pillar, his fingers scarcely catching its surface to pull himself up. He climbed onto it, then took another running leap for the enormous chained door Darunia had disappeared inside, hefting himself onto that platform as well.

Link pursued him, reaching into his inventory and setting the Boss Key into its lock. The chains retracted into the surrounding walls as the lock itself condensed and vanished, the flame-engraved door they bound now sliding freely into the ceiling. Both Heroes regarded one another, before they entered the new room.

The floor transitioned to more defined bricks, but it only extended roughly ten feet before it completely stopped. A small square pedestal rose from a sea of lava, providing a path to the spacious stage riddled with magma pits. The Hero of Twilight was looking all around, sizing up the ceiling far above and the stone columns that supported it. His calm expression flashed with surprise and his movements became quicker.

"Where…?" he began, and the matter he was concerned about became evident to Link.

"Darunia…!" the Hero of Time realized, spinning in a circle in search of the Goron. To his side, the Hero of Twilight's countenance changed to fury and he sprang off their platform, landing on the smaller stage and further proceeding to the strange dark dirt-packed arena.

 _Were…were we too late?_ Link wondered, almost rooted to the spot as his friend ventured further into the obvious battlefield.

To his horror, the world began to tremble, and the atmosphere darkened to a disconcerting red. The Hero of Twilight was looking around quickly, trying to isolate where the source of the disturbance was coming from. Behind him, the column that allowed access to the stage began to sink into the lava.

"Argh, no!" Link shouted, dropping onto it and leaping onto the arena to join the Hylian Hero. The temperature of the room steadily began to increase with the severity of the tremors, the shuddering rattling the Heroes' metal equipment. Regardless, both stood together and glared at the multiple craters filled with bubbling magma.

"Prepare yourself," the Hero of Twilight commanded, his weapons drawn as his eyes darted from one pit to the next.

Directly ahead of them, flames began to spew from one of the pools. Both of them fixed their eyes on the oddity, and Navi herself seemed ready to flutter over to it for targeting convenience. A strange protrusion of red-hot iron emerged from the pool, followed by a multitude of additional small plates. The projection continued onward to form two enormous horns joined to flames that flowed like a mane of long, tangled hair. A series of miniature bars overlapped glowing green eyes as a serpentine body of lava and half-formed rocks lifted free of the pit. Though it didn't possess legs, its arms were resting at its side as it continued into the air, flying despite an obvious lack of wings.

"And I thought Midna was hotheaded," the Hero of Twilight commented, only to suddenly giggle as the shadows around him flickered. Was that a hand mark on his cheek?

"Subterranean Lava Dragon," Navi explained for the Heroes as the beast circled them in the air. "Volvagia."

The dragon apparently wasn't fond of Navi's pronunciation of its name. It spewed fire at her, missing terribly as it soared overhead. Perhaps those bars inhibited its vision. Regardless, it plunged back into the ground, disappearing from the same hole it had come from.

Both Links stared at the pit, before looking to one another.

"What…are we too ugly to be near for too long?" Link asked.

"You may be, but I'm not," the Hero of Twilight commented.

Link lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Says who?"

"I'm betrothed. Are you?"

"I'm just a little kid!"

"Watch out!" Navi called as she drifted over to Volvagia, who was spewing fire from its place at the far left corner of the stage. Both Heroes looked up to find her, quickly charging over to join her at the beast.

The dragon swept its fiery hair out of its face and rested its left elbow on the ground, right fist digging into the soil as it snarled at the Heroes. The Hero of Twilight was not amused, spinning his blade in his hand and striking its multi-plated protection with his tool. Sparks flew, but the monster didn't even flinch. It slashed its claws at him, spinning around and dropping back beneath the pool.

"We need something more powerful than the Master Sword to slay it," Link informed the Hero of Twilight, his beast of a Hammer gleaming red in the light. "Something like this."

The Hylian Hero nodded, reaching into his inventory as Volvagia dared poke its head back out of the hole. He stepped back to allow Link to take a swing at the monster with his Hammer. Much to their surprise, however, whatever the Hero of Twilight was reaching for was unnecessary. The helmet of the dragon fractured off, iron fragments flying in all directions.

"Convenient," the Hero of Twilight uttered as he once again swung his sword, attacking the beast repeatedly with the dangerously sharp blade. Before Link could even draw his own sword, the dragon rested both hands on its ugly pink snout and ducked back into the lava, slipping out of their grasp.

"Well…this thing… It's relatively powerless against us, isn't it?" Link noted. "All I have to do is hit it with the Hammer, and then you strike it with your sword. It'll be defeated quite quickly, if this is truly all the difficulty the beast possesses."

He spoke too soon.

Volvagia, not to be outdone, launched into the air and continued gliding through the sky effortlessly. It shot a breath of flame at Link, forcing him to sprint out of the way. The Hero of Twilight was once again reaching in his pouch, mumbling something to himself as the Hero of Time fled. Apparently, he had something in his inventory that would tear the dragon back to the ground. Was there anything he _didn't_ have? Aside from the most glorious Megaton Hammer, obviously.

"What are you looking for?!" Link demanded, before crying out as a column of heat blasted him in the back and slammed him into the scorching ground. He pressed his hands to the surface and quickly forced himself back to his feet. He scarcely ducked beneath the vicious snapping of the infuriated dragon that was circling him.

The spiked orb of the Hero of Twilight crashed into Volvagia's pink nose, knocking the beast away from Link and dragging it to the ground with the impact. It lay still on the arena, inviting the Hero of Time to draw his sword and dash over to its face. Since he hadn't held his blade for a little while—enjoying his Hammer and using it at every available opportunity—the sword seemed a little weightless in his grasp. He swung it without resistance, cutting deep into the immobilized dragon, which was immediately stirred back to its senses.

It roared at Link, spitting flames directly at his face and sending him stumbling backwards. He couldn't see, rubbing his eyes as his brain did its best to process this new pain stinging in him. Blood was running down his cheeks.

"Watch out!" Navi called out to him, inviting Link to remove his hand and glance down at the lava bubbling several feet below him; he had stumbled over to the edge of the arena, and was about to slip off completely.

Link didn't even have time to yelp. Though he was falling backwards, clawing at the air, metal prongs locked around the front of his Goron's Tunic and prevented him from tumbling down into the lava pool. The metal fingers tugged back on his form, chain retracting and dragging him toward the Hero of Twilight.

The Hylian Hero was forced to release his Clawshot as Volvagia dive-bombed him. What was it with flying creatures and deciding that such a method was the absolute best to destroy the Hero of Twilight? Even so, his weapon's chain coiled completely and brought the contraption to Link's chest, where it then released him and plopped onto the ground. He looked up to his friend, who now had a considerable bite on his shoulder.

The Hero of Twilight casually punched Volvagia in the snout as the beast rounded on him again, then trudged over to Link and retrieved the Clawshot.

"Thanks," the Hero of Time commented. "It looks like I need to save _you_ for once!"

"Next dungeon, perhaps," the Hero of Twilight agreed, turning back to see the dragon plunge back into the lava.

"His hair is so fabulous," Navi murmured as Volvagia once again appeared from the lava pits. The beast circled in the air, but as the Hero of Twilight lifted his spherical orb on a chain, it changed its mind and proceeded to drift to the ceiling a safe distance away.

"How do you know it's a guy?" the Hero of Twilight asked, putting away his tool as the dragon's lava body scraped across the rough, uneven roof and began ripping or melting rocks from the ceiling. "I say it's female. It has feminine eyes and hair."

"It's awesome," Link commented, leaping to the side as a rock came down in the place he had stood seconds ago. "I want to keep it as a pet… Imagine owning a pet dragon!"

"Link!" Navi protested.

"Well, if it's a girl, you _should_ retain it as a pet," the Hero of Twilight proclaimed. "I mean, it flies, is easily irritable, radiates light, and makes lots of noise… It could replace Navi perfectly."

If she hadn't been targeting Volvagia for Link, Navi probably would have schemed some way to push the Hero of Twilight into lava for that remark. However, because she was busy, she instead settled with luring the dragon toward him.

"You're dead for that one, greenie," she seethed.

Volvagia plunged into the lava pool at the Hylian Hero's feet, spraying his shoes with molten rock. He tapped his boots on the ground as the fairy charged his face. He brushed her aside distractedly as fire spewed from one pit, only to spark from another seconds later.

Volvagia emerged from the second, and Link darted over. He brandished his Hammer, his fairy joining him and helpfully targeting the waiting beast. He struck his tool against the armored snout of the dragon. When had it retrieved its defense? He didn't know, but its hard work became meaningless as his toy smashed it back to smithereens. The beast collapsed at his feet, but he was only able to strike it once before it slipped back into the lava and launched from a different pit.

The dragon encircled Link, forcing him to raise his shield as it attempted to bite his head off. He spotted the shining sphere of the Hero of Twilight, tool once again colliding with the dragon and knocking it to the ground. Though he immediately drew his sword and Jump Attacked the dragon, Link only managed to strike it once before it fled to the nearest crater and plunged into the bubbling lava.

Apparently growing tired of dealing with the Hero of Twilight, the dragon returned to the ceiling moments later and rattled the entire world. Dozens of boulders began to fall in a steady rhythm to the floor, smashing apart as they connected with the stage. The Hylian Hero was watching his shadows and casually stepping out of the way whenever they were disturbed. Small fragments of rock clanged harmlessly off his shield. Link could see from where he stood that the Hero of Twilight had that fierce bestial look on his face once again.

From the multitudes of lava craters, flames were erupting without cease. However, Volvagia did not emerge from any of them; the pits were simply blazing out of control. The beast was probably blowing flames from underground in an attempt to distract or confuse them, but they weren't about to just blindly charge forward to examine every hole. They waited patiently, only willing to move if they saw the horns and fiery hair exit any of the pools.

Link spotted the distinct orange tendrils of fire in one of the pits so he quickly shot forward, Megaton Hammer firm in his grasp. He leapt at the exiting form of the dragon, his weapon smashing down on the repaired armor once again. Volvagia recoiled, body swaying dazedly before crashing back down to the searing arena floor.

The Hero of Twilight jumped into the air, producing a battle cry as he brought his blade down simultaneously with the Hero of Time's strike. The two weapons pierced the beast, which immediately tore itself free from them, howling loudly with that awful scratchy voice. It dug its fingers into its skull and slipped into the lava, both Links watching its sluggish movements disappear into the liquid.

For the final time, Volvagia launched into the sky, curling back on itself and twisting through the air. Flames ignited all across its body, rocks and lava burning away its form and leaving nothing but bone. The Hero of Twilight seemed stunned with this as the entire body of the beast was reduced to a skeleton, but Link had seen several monsters become mere bones before, so he wasn't fazed.

The structure remained in the air for a few seconds that seemingly stretched into eternity. Then, without further warning, each segment of the skeleton dropped to the ground, bouncing across the surface and disappearing into the lava below. Volvagia's disembodied head slammed to the floor at the Links' feet, eyes still remaining open but lacking their sinister glow. The jaw tensed and twitched, before the entire skull erupted in blue flames and turned to dust.

"Pleasant…" the Hero of Twilight muttered, only for his annoyed attitude to vanish as a Heart Container remained in the beast's place.

"No pets for me…" Link sighed half-heartedly. Even so, he seized his new Heart Container and held it proudly over his head.

 _I got a Heart Container!_ he thought. _My maximum life energy is increased by one heart. My life energy will be totally filled._

The Hero of Twilight nodded his approval. "We could always acquire another pet for you. Perhaps that wolf that plagues my homeland?"

Link chuckled. "Only if you catch him. Anyway, come on! Let's go!" He indicated the glowing blue ring of light. "I bet Darunia became one of the Sages, which would explain why he isn't here. Maybe he got taken by the light before Volvagia could eat him?"

The Hero of Twilight chased after the Hero of Time, but he wasn't quick enough to jump into the azure circle before it encased Link in a rupee-shaped blue container. He stepped back, staring as the object began to rise into the air, carrying the Hero of Time.

Link waved farewell to his companion, knowing that the two would be reunited soon anyway. Even if they didn't meet in the Sacred Realm, he would still run into the Hero of Twilight shortly after the meeting with the new Sage. There was no need to be concerned.

The world dimmed to an indecipherable black all around him, before a blinding white overtook his vision, and Link was transported to the Sacred Realm.

No need to be concerned indeed, since Link could not feel the explosions that shook the mountain, nor was he aware of the volcanic ash or ring of fire being sucked into the sky and vanishing into nothingness. His efforts were definitely beneficial, but it made it that much more complicated for the Hero of Twilight to warp out with Midna.

Now that he was in the Chamber of the Sages, however, such matters were far from Link's mind, hidden from his knowledge. Once again, he landed in the white section of the Triforce platform, on his feet and directly facing the short pedestal bearing the red insignia of flame. A second ring of light glowed on the platform, and the spiked rocky hair of a Goron began to emerge from the shine.

Link watched patiently as the entire form of Darunia rose from the light, the Goron leader wearing the same smile he remembered seeing seven years ago. It almost hurt to see that nothing had changed of the leader. His black arm tattoos were exactly the same, as were the double white dots at the corners of his eyes. Even his voice hadn't been affected by time.

"Thank you, Brother!" Darunia declared.

 _It's almost as if seven years haven't passed,_ Link thought to himself as he replied with a simple, "You're welcome." _As if we could just walk out of here and see the beautiful land of Hyrule, bustling with Hylians and devoid of the prominent touch of death. Soldiers would be in every town, and Zelda would still be safe._

"I really appreciate what you did. I thank you on behalf of the entire Goron race!" Darunia continued.

"It was an honor," Link replied respectfully, his mind still engaged as he spoke to his Sworn Brother. _But seven years_ have _passed… They have indeed, and all that remains of this beautiful land I call my home is a wasteland of death, overrun by monsters I would have fled from as a child. And though I now stand in the body of an adult, forced to be the Hero I was not prepared to become, I cannot return to the incident seven years ago and prevent Zelda from falling into the evil clutches of Ganondorf._

"You turned out to be a real man, just as I thought you would!" Darunia encouraged, though he was not aware of Link's thoughts. Even so, his words had a greater impact than he perhaps had intended.

 _Darunia…_ Link smiled. _He believes me to be a real man now, an adult. A proper adult. A_ Hero _. Even if I wasn't prepared to become one, with all these challenges that rise up to overtake me, he believes that I'm strong enough to overcome them. Even if I had seven years stolen from me… Everyone I've met has faith that I am the Hero, trusting wholeheartedly that I am ready to assume the role of the Hero of Time. They don't believe me too young, too immature, or incapable. They trust me._

"By the way, I, the wild Darunia, turned out to be the great Sage of Fire… Isn't that funny, Brother?"

 _I will ensure that I remain strong enough to never let them down. I am a Hero, and though the mistakes of my past are the reason Hyrule has fallen into this destruction, I was given the courage to persevere and protect those who aren't able to defend themselves. It was ordained that Hyrule become this broken world, and now I, the Hero of Time—accompanied by the other Link—have been entrusted by the goddesses this role to save the world._

"No more humorous than myself assuming my role as the Hero of Time," Link replied.

"Well, this must be what they call destiny. Nothing has made me happier than helping you seal the evil here!"

 _I will not let anyone down._

"Hey, Brother, take this! This is a Medallion that contains the power of the fire spirits—and my friendship." Darunia lifted his hands to the sky, causing Link to look up into the brilliant white light overhead. A red gleam caught his eye, so he lifted his own hands as a disk drifted toward him, spinning uncontrollably but heading steadily in his direction. It was the color of a pure ruby, carved with the relief of a three-pronged flame.

 _I received the Fire Medallion!_ Link thought, smiling happily and pushing aside his other considerations. _Darunia awakens as a Sage and adds his power to mine!_

The world all around Link was overtaken with white, hiding Darunia from his sight as the Hero of Time began to depart from the Chamber of the Sages without his permission. The last thing he heard before he was returned to the world of Hyrule was Darunia's farewell proclamation.

"Don't forget… Now you and I are true Brothers!"

. . . . .

"But we aren't blood-related!" Link heard from above him as he waited patiently for the return of the Hero of Time on the stone dais in Death Mountain Crater. He looked up, spotting the column of mystical blue light that contained his companion. The other Hero began to fall, but the descent wouldn't be enough to hurt him, so Link wasn't too concerned. He rose to his feet as his friend dropped to the ground beside him.

"Good thing, too," Link commented, before noting pleasantly that the Hero of Time didn't seem nearly as shaken up from his visit to the Sacred Realm as he had been after completion of the Forest Temple. "You don't appear to be mentally distressed this visit as with the last. How did things proceed in my absence?"

"They proceeded well," the Hero of Time replied, before he seemed to process what Link had said immediately before that. His expression changed to skepticism as he inquired, "Why wouldn't you want to be my brother?"

"Having you as my older sibling would be quite a nuisance," Link teased, beginning to walk across the bridge to their left.

"Yeah, and you'd be an obnoxious brother to have, too," the Hero of Time retorted, whipping out his Hookshot and firing it at the post sticking out of the ground across the broken bridge. It immediately pulled him toward the other side, leaving Link on the ruined section with no way to join his friend except by transformation into a wolf.

The Hero of Time turned and waited for Link to follow, but Link waved his hand dismissively.

"Proceed," he called. "I'm a slow climber, remember?"

"Yeah, true," the Hero of Time agreed, turning around without further questioning. He began to walk to the exit of Death Mountain Crater, only to seemingly spot a pair of grey boulders a short run and another bridge away. The Hylian Hero quickly whipped out his Hammer, darting across the wooden planks and striking the stone with his toy. The force somewhat knocked him back, but he was not deterred from assaulting them again.

"Midna," Link whispered, backing out of his friend's sight.

"This is risky," she told him, but she transformed him anyway without even waiting for the command.

Link rose to his feet and shook himself off, black Twilit squares fracturing off his body. He looked to the post above him, where Midna had floated and now beckoned to him with her hair-hand. He leapt up after her, only for her to drift to the other side of the broken bridge out of his grasp. He sprung toward her, landing on the other side of the lava pit just in time to see the Hero of Time disappear into another cave. Adventuring was the Hylian Hero's favorite hobby, after all.

"Transform into human," Link called out to Midna as she dropped painfully onto his back and made him cough. She acknowledged his request seconds later, pressing the Master Sword to his hand and causing the twilight spell to sever from his body. He stood as a human once more, chasing after his friend to see what new environment they could explore. He disappeared into a large square passageway, body enshrouded in black nothingness.

The first thing he saw after the darkness cleared was the white brick walls, ceiling, and floor illuminated by orange torches shortly ahead. His boots clicked as he leisurely walked across the surface, which quickly widened and transitioned to smooth white marble as he descended the stairs. The walls gushed mysterious dark water tinted ice blue, yet did not reflect the glow of flames from the torches. The braziers themselves were just as strange: fireballs flickering on two pillars that were both made of a single triangle set on its head.

Link spotted the Hero of Time at the far end of the room, waiting on a second set of stairs with his Ocarina at his lips. He began to play the familiar melody Link himself had howled in the Sacred Grove when he had been transformed by Zant's dark power, and later hummed along to in Goron City as the Hero of Time tried in vain to open the door to Darunia's vacated room. The melody resonated pleasantly through the room, filling the structure and drowning out the sound of trickling water.

Link would have joined his friend immediately if disturbing laughter hadn't suddenly broken the serenity. He looked around quickly before his eyes fell on the pool of water directly in front of the Hero of Time. Was it coming from the water? There was no way… It was no more than a foot deep, and perfectly clear. Even so, he cautiously approached the pool and stood on the step just below the Hero of Time's.

At that precise moment, Hyrule itself decided to play a mean joke on him. Horrific cackling filled the room, definitely coming from that evil water. Link shot back, staring bewilderedly as a strange figure rose out of the liquid, summoning herself from nothingness. He blinked several times, his mind working quickly as he tried to decide if she was an enemy or not.

The Hero of Time snickered under his breath, and Link caught a glimpse of his friend looking at him before the other Hero turned away and faced the female. Link also looked to the woman, concluding that she was not a monster…she just seemed like one.

She was certainly a frightening creature. She wore too much dark pink eyeshadow around her purple eyes, which were framed with excessively long lashes. A beauty mark was on her left cheek, and her hair was the same color as both the eyeshadow and her lipstick. She wore no clothes except for knee-high dark leather boots, and some ivy that didn't look too comfortable to wear. It wrapped around her entire body and even interwove with her hair—binding it in three ponytails—but it didn't cover enough of her skin to make a suitable modest garb.

Link could feel himself turning red up to his ears in embarrassment, and he looked away from her. What even _was_ she? A fairy? She didn't look like any _he_ had ever seen. Then again, with that pink hair, perhaps she could be; fairies _were_ pink after all. Maybe she was just a gigantic one, and therefore was not able to be enveloped in that small but powerful glow that the winged creatures had. She could fly, too, so perhaps she didn't even need wings.

 _But what even kind of fairy would she be?_ Link wondered. _A Great Fairy? I thought those didn't exist…_

"Welcome Link!" the female said with another soft, chilling laugh as she beckoned to him, her legs crossed. "I am the Great Fairy of Wisdom!"

"Hello…" Link reluctantly said, waving just to be polite.

Fortunately for him, the female was too focused on the Hero of Time to care much about his motion. She proceeded with, "I'm going to enhance your magic power. Receive it now!"

With another giggle, she straightened, extending both arms and causing a circle of green to surround the Hero of Time. Link watched as his friend looked around and examined himself to see if anything had changed. Even though nothing looked different, the other Hero turned away from the Great Fairy and lifted his hands over his head as if he had received something.

 _Poor thing has no idea he's been hoodwinked,_ Link thought.

"Your magic power has been enhanced!" the Great Fairy said, though as far as the Hero of Twilight was concerned, it was a lie. "Now you have twice as much Magic Power!"

Seeing that the encounter was now mostly over, Link turned around to leave. His boots were like thunder in this strange location, ensuring that the Hero of Time would understand that the Hero of Twilight was on his way out to continue questing.

He wasn't exactly allowed to go.

"Link!" the Great Fairy called after him, stopping him dead in his tracks. "I see your life is not reinforced by the power of magic, yet you possess tools so instilled with such power. I will grant you the ability to imbue the objects of this world with the life of your own!"

 _Wait…with my life, or the life of my Hyrule?_ Link wondered. Either way, it wasn't as if he would get much choice in the matter. Another circle of green appeared on the floor, fencing him in where he stood. He remained absolutely still as a strange feeling filled his entire body, concentrating on his chest and head. It rejuvenated him, pouring strength and energy into his being.

"You have been given the power to place statues under your dominion," she informed him. "As you do so, magic power will be consumed. Pay attention to your Magic Meter!"

Link quickly scoured his inventory, searching to see this mysterious Magic Meter that he could hear filling with power. He couldn't find it. Like his Health Meter, it wasn't visible; it had to be assumed based on the amount of available energy it provided to him.

"When battle has made you weary, please come back to see me," the Great Fairy commanded. With another hideous shriek of laughter, she began to shrink and descend back into the water, vanishing into oblivion by no understandable means.

"I got an enhanced Magic Meter, and all you got is a Magic Meter," the Hero of Time said, turning around with a smug look on his face as he approached Link.

Link was still wondering exactly what had just happened. He had somewhat of a blank look on his face as he stared at the place where the freaky Fairy had just vanished off to, and he still wasn't entirely certain she was a Fairy at all. It took him a prolonged moment before he finally turned to regard his friend.

"What kind of creature…?"

"She's just a Great Fairy. Why do you look so stunned?"

 _Oh, so I_ am _correct…_ Link thought, but that didn't make him feel any more relieved.

"Why wasn't she wearing any clothes?" he asked.

"She's a Fairy. She doesn't see anyone very often. Why would she need clothes?"

Link pinched his eyebrows together. _I keep forgetting he's just a little kid. Obviously this sort of thing is meaningless to him._

"Never mind, let's just go," he muttered, now marching out the door. His mind was swimming with thoughts, but there was one that had drifted to the front and now dominated his considerations.

 _If I truly do not belong in this ancient Hyrule, why does it continually grant me the techniques or provide me with these archaic objects for my adventure?_ Link asked himself. _Perhaps I was barricaded in the Temple of Time and locked into this other world for another reason beyond my knowledge._

Perhaps he was never supposed to leave…

. . . . .

 **A/N: I find it strange that the Great Fairy says "magic power" in one sentence and then "Magic Power" in another. Why is one capitalized but the other not? I'm very confused… Oh well. I guess I'll conform to the video game's capitalization rules.**


	20. Winter Not-so-Wonderland

**A/N: So if everything goes according to plan, I should be able to write this fanfiction and NOT abandon you guys AGAIN! (I am so sorry...) Anyway, before you complain about how bad TP Link handles chilled water, just remember that he literally never steps in cold water in Twilight Princess, without first getting frozen into a Popsicle. So he really** _ **is**_ **weak to ice. Just a fair warning. (Oh, and just a reminder for those who forgot: ". . . . ." indicates a perspective switch, and whichever one's perspective it currently is will predominantly be referred to as "Link", with the other being called by his titles of the Hero of Time or Twilight, the Hylian Hero, the other Hero, the other Link, etc.)**

 **Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Nineteen

Winter Not-so-Wonderland

It was Link's sincerest desire that the Hero of Twilight would adventure with him forever. He would be devastated if his companion mysteriously vanished off the face of Hyrule, his soul shaken by the fact that his only other remaining friend besides Navi had been decommissioned. As far as he was concerned, the Hylian Hero _was_ never supposed to leave. They were designed to protect the beautiful land, and afterwards would permanently enjoy the peace they fought so determinedly to restore. They were meant to be allies until the end of time.

After all, who else was Link going to laugh at?

Though the two had long since departed Death Mountain and were now trekking undisturbed through Kakariko Village, he couldn't stop sniggering at his friend. The Hylian Hero had stopped talking completely, giving the evil eye every time Link so much as glanced at him and cracked a smile, but that didn't stop the Hero of Time from being obnoxious. He couldn't erase the mental image of his friend turning as red as Malon's hair; he hoped to take that ridiculous memory to him with his grave. Based on how much he was still snickering, he might die laughing, so getting his wish didn't seem quite so unfeasible.

The Hero of Twilight marched down the steps exiting Kakariko Village, greeted by the whinny of Epalon and Epona. Without even casting a backwards glance at Link, the other Hero climbed on his steed and turned him around, trotting off and leaving the Hero of Time in the dust.

Link sprang into Epona's saddle and spurred her after his escaping friend, pushing aside his amusement as the wind ripped through his hair and jolted him back into the reality that he still needed to save Hyrule. Laughing at his allies could wait until later…probably.

"Where does he think he's going?" Navi muttered irritatedly as the Hero of Twilight galloped off towards Gerudo Valley. "He acts like he's never explored Hyrule before."

 _With those skills, that's highly unlikely,_ Link thought, but he had to admit that it was somewhat confusing that his companion would head the wrong direction; they were supposed to go under a vast lake, and that was clearly _not_ going to be in a desert.

"Hey!" Link called after the other Hero, nudging Epona to speed up so he could overtake his friend. "Where are you going?"

The Hero of Twilight didn't respond, instead galloping faster toward the Desert. Link could only slightly see a map in his hand, the paper rippling in the wind Epalon was causing. The Hero of Time would have questioned how anyone could read something that wouldn't stop crinkling with the strong gusts, but he himself had skimmed his map from Epona's back; it was difficult, but not impossible.

 _What is he thinking that has him heading to Gerudo Desert?_ Link wondered. _What information did he acquire that we didn't…?_

"Link!" he shouted again, causing his friend to stuff his map in his back pocket and glance back.

The Hero of Twilight, seeing Link's urgent expression, slowed his horse slightly to allow him to catch up with ease. He veered off ever so slightly, now galloping alongside past-Hyrule's Hero so they could communicate without yelling—they did enough shouting as it was.

"Yes?" the other Hero inquired.

"Where are—?" Link started, but he was interrupted midsentence by Navi demanding, "Why didn't you answer us?"

The Hero of Twilight, being a gentleman, decided to follow the tradition of "ladies first" by responding to Navi before Link. "I believed you were still giggling about my behavior regarding the Great Fairy, so I wasn't paying much attention to either of you. I instead chose to consult my map to learn where to go."

Link jumped back in before Navi could fight with the Hero of Twilight for ignoring her perfect self. "And where exactly _were_ you going?

"Lake Hylia."

"Lake Hylia is south, not west!"

The Hero of Twilight considered that, his expression puzzled for several seconds. He slowed Epalon to a complete halt, causing Link to also rein Epona to a stop. Reaching into his back pocket, he retrieved his huge map of what appeared to be Hyrule at first glance.

Link caught a glimpse of some strange writing all over the document, but he didn't pay it much attention as his friend traced the paper and muttered some calculations under his breath. He could've sworn he heard the Hero of Twilight murmur, "I thought only Hyrule Castle had been moved…"

 _What…?_ Link wondered. He shook his head, then rubbed his ears. That couldn't be right…he had to have misinterpreted whatever his companion was mumbling.

The Hero of Twilight quickly stuffed his map back in his pocket, straightening on his horse. "It seems my document demands revision. It's suffered some damages throughout the duration of our quest. It has become unusable. Since you seem to recognize the proper path, I recommend you lead, Link."

"You aren't going to slip away while he does, are you?" Navi inquired skeptically as Link obliged and began to nudge Epona forward.

The Hero of Twilight waved passively. "Not this time."

"Shame," she said sarcastically, landing on Link's shoulder so she wouldn't have to try and keep up with his horse.

True to his word, the other Hero galloped after the Hero of Time, spurring Epalon as fast as the stallion would go. His horse wasn't as quick as Epona, but he managed to avoid falling behind as Link steered his own mount towards southernmost Hyrule Field.

The sun was beginning to set, washing the tall iron fence ahead of them in a sinister orange glow. All the two would have to do was jump the bars that barricaded the path to Lake Hylia, and they would be able to clear another dungeon in no time.

Well, at least that's what Link _thought_.

Epona cleared the tall fence with ease, then sprang over the second row of iron without hesitation. Her hooves slammed into the ground, and she thundered across the uneven terrain with the Hero of Twilight hot on their trail. It almost seemed like a race, which would have brought out Link's competitive skills, if he hadn't almost slipped off his mount in surprise.

They had entered Lake Hylia, the sun now sinking below the horizon and making it hard to see. Even so, the minimal light was not enough to prevent Link from noticing the unusual appearance of Hyrule's largest water source.

It wasn't a lake anymore. It was a puddle.

"What…?" Navi whispered, fluttering around what used to be the outer edge of the water's surface. She plopped to the ground, which was completely dry.

" _Again_?" the Hero of Twilight asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. He dismounted Epalon before scampering towards the cracked dirt that had been leached of its moisture.

"This has happened before?" Link inquired, also climbing off his horse and joining the other two.

The Hero of Twilight kicked the ground, apparently frustrated. "Yes. The monsters stopped the flow of water to the Lake, and it began to drain until it was almost nonexistent…though I will admit that it was filled more than this."

"With how small it's gotten, it _could_ exist in Gerudo Desert…" Navi snorted.

Link trudged over to the place he remembered contained a secret passage to Zora's River. Surely if he went and spoke with King Zora, he would get an answer as to why this oddity had transpired. However, he was forced to stop in his tracks before he could ever enter the large square pathway.

"Just like the last time," the Hero of Twilight said, resting a hand on a wall of solid ice choking the passage. He reached into his pouch and hefted his massive Ball and Chain, allowing Link just enough time to step out of range before he swung it with all his strength toward the frozen barrier.

The sphere crashed noisily into the wall and slammed into the ground at the Hero of Twilight's feet, yet the barrier remained completely undamaged. The Hylian Hero swiftly tugged on the chain, yanking the orb back into his hands and placing it into his inventory once more.

"When Lake Hylia's water was reduced significantly, it was caused by damage to Zora's Domain, the true source of Hyrule's water," the Hero of Twilight explained, turning to Link. "If Zora's Domain is the origin of Lake Hylia's water presently, then we know where the problem is located, and we can travel there to undo the damage." He rapped his knuckles on the icy sheen. "And if things are truly the same, I can guarantee the entirety of the Domain is frozen."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Link demanded, spinning around and sprinting back towards his mount, with Navi trailing after him. "We need to get to Zora's Domain! Follow me!"

The Hero of Twilight didn't have to be told twice. He also got onto his horse, spurring the stallion after the Hero of Time and loping back towards the iron fences without a second thought.

"So this has happened before?" Navi asked, zipping over to the other Hero and landing on his shoulder so she wouldn't have to raise her voice. "The entirety of Lake Hylia…drained?"

The Hero of Twilight nodded, eyes fixed on the back of Link's head.

"When?" Navi persisted.

Link glanced back, only to slightly slow his mount. He wanted to know this information as well.

"I can assure you that it was before I was locked in the Temple of Time, though I cannot give a precise date," the Hylian Hero answered.

"So there's no way to know…" Navi commented, disappointed. "I wonder if there's a particular reason the goddesses have decided history must repeat…" She quickly changed topic, instead asking, "What caused the world to turn to ice last time?"

"A curse on the land of Hyrule."

"Ganondorf," Navi seethed.

"No, I don't believe so."

"Here we are," Link interjected, pulling Epona to a halt near a reasonably sized stream in the northeastern corner of Hyrule. He cocked his head to the side curiously. "If Zora's River is frozen…why is this water still flowing?"

A cold gust of wind ripped through their hair and sent Navi behind the Hero of Twilight to absorb his warmth and escape the frigid air.

"Shall we examine it?" the Hero of Twilight invited, once again dismounting his stallion. He waited for Link to join him at the water's edge before he sprang out over the stream and plunged into the liquid. His head bobbed to the top and he performed some strange sideways maneuver to reach the opposing bank. He then led the way along the edge before Link accompanied him toward a small field of grass located just in front of a stone fence lacking any kind of gate. The Hylian Hero swung his sword at the weeds almost subconsciously, allowing Link to overtake him.

The Hero of Time scampered along the left wall, glancing at the water pouring relentlessly from the stream to his right. Why was it still flowing so much if the Lake was almost completely empty? An Octorok glowered at him with beady green eyes, somehow not drifting away in the strong current of the river, and waiting patiently to launch some rocks at Link's innocent Hylian self.

 _The Cucco's gone…_ he realized as he darted past the circle of rocks where his feathered friend once strutted aimlessly. _How will I cross the River now…?_

His question was answered the moment he saw some strange looking plant thing growing out of the ground in front of the iron fence that had probably been moved from the stone wall to block the path further ahead. He remembered having planted one of those intriguing Magic Beans next to the even more unique individual who had sold him the item, the latter of which was missing without explanation.

"Excellent!" Link said with a grin, darting over to the plant. He waited for the Hero of Twilight to catch up, holding out his arm so his friend couldn't step on and activate the mysterious plant without him.

"Are you going to utilize this strange flying device to progress past the fence?" the Hero of Twilight inquired, raising an eyebrow skeptically at the green leaf.

"Nope," Link said, but his voice indicated that he was clearly planning something. " _We're_ going to utilize it." Then, without further warning, he stepped onto the plant and yanked the Hero of Twilight on with him, just as the Octorok fired a large rock where they had once been standing. "Might as well go together, seeing as it's faster and all."

"I vehemently despise your ideas for time conservation," the Hero of Twilight seethed, apparently irritated that he had been hoisted into the air by a magic plant without his permission, and was now stuck on a leaf far too small for the both of them. It was roughly the same size as the elevator from the Forest Temple, and Link's friend clearly didn't appreciate having to hang onto him to avoid falling off.

"Would you rather have taken turns?" the Hero of Time asked.

"Yes."

"How would you have known where to go?"

"I would have figured it out!" he answered as they drifted over a large elevation of the ground, past the boulder surrounded by a ring of rocks. Below them, the river had split into multiple segments, and the plant was giving them a nice sightseeing tour of all of it. Part of the stream transitioned to a miniature waterfall, which the Hylian Hero glanced down at as Link held him steady.

"Oh this is so much easier than having to use the Cucco," Link celebrated as he saw the wooden bridge he once strived so hard to reach. Was the plant going to take them all the way to the main waterfall?

Unfortunately, it seemed like that was a no. The mysterious plant suddenly jerked to a halt before starting to zip in the opposite direction, the change in movement throwing the Hero of Twilight free and causing him to fall to the ground below.

"I'M GOING TO—!" he yelled angrily, but he wasn't able to complete the sentence before he hit the ground in front of the bridge and lay there in infuriated silence. A single snowflake fluttered from the sky and landed on his nose, causing him to snort his disapproval.

Link, seeing that he would have to traverse the rest of the way on foot, also leapt off the plant. He joined his friend, offering him a hand before he dared continue the journey.

The Hero of Twilight merely glared at him. It took him about five seconds of staring balefully before he finally accepted the gesture, growling, "Next time, we take turns."

Link snickered. "Never mind that. We're almost there!" He whirled around to face the wooden bridge anchored to a path connecting to the right wall and suspended over the seemingly endless river. A small rail prevented him from simply leaping off the side of the new pathway, even as the earth progressed upward and veered right before splitting into two disconnected natural arches.

He darted up the first arch, greeted by a strong gust of icy wind. More snowflakes drifted lazily past, getting thicker the farther he traveled. He chose to ignore them, springing onto the second path and coming to stand directly in front of the enormous waterfall he knew led to Zora's Domain.

The Hero of Twilight glanced at the inscription below Link's feet as the Hero of Time placed the Ocarina of Time to his lips and began to play the familiar melody of Zelda's Lullaby. The tune was kind of getting old, but Link didn't dare say that; at least he could play it without that strange echo his friend made when using Saria's Ocarina.

There was no earthquake, or any sort of dramatic indication that the melody had been effective. If the Hero of Twilight hadn't been paying attention to the endless torrent cascading down before them, he would have missed seeing the water mysteriously part to reveal a dark stone entrance.

Link didn't wait around for his friend to be surprised by the strange power possessed by the Ocarina of Time; he jumped the gap between the natural arch and the passage, scampering inside with footsteps echoing like thunder off the stone walls. He could hear the Hero of Twilight following dedicatedly behind him. For once, the two were actually traveling together, as opposed to wandering off and getting separated.

Their ambling was brought to an immediate halt as Link stopped dead in his tracks, staring wide-eyed at the unfamiliar environment that once was Zora's Domain. To their left, the ladder that would have allowed them to extricate themselves from the water if they fell in, was now submerged in ice. Somewhat in the distance, the frozen surface of the waterfall that led to the throne room could be seen contrasting against the frigid stone walls surrounding it. The stone path that bordered the right wall was still accessible, but there was nothing to see beyond it.

"Where are the Zoras?" Link wondered aloud, stepping forward and turning in a circle to get a good look at the wintery world they had entered. Several snowflakes drifted past him, and his breath was coming out as white mist. Despite the enclosed space, a strong breeze nipped at his face and clothes, and he rubbed his arms.

The Hero of Twilight began to follow the right path, slowing his pace and following the lower fork down to where the shopkeeper once resided. He vanished from Link's sight, so the Hero of Time chased after him to find him standing silently in front of a wall of reddish ice that covered the entryway to the store.

Seeing the obstacle, Link instead chose to run onto the icy sheen that used to be an indoor swimming area filled with fish. He skittered across the ground, his boots having difficulties gaining traction on the slick surface.

"Whoa!" Link exclaimed as he slid and crashed into the wall. He had seen snow and ice before, but never this much. Whenever the Kokiri Forest endured winter, the few puddles there were vaguely froze, and they were too fragile to step on. Yet, this sheet of solid ice was so thick he could probably pound on it with the Megaton Hammer and it wouldn't even crack.

It would have been fun to play around on, if it weren't for the fact that he _knew_ the Zora's lived in this water. If it was now so sturdy his tools couldn't break it, what did that mean for them? Where had they gone? They thrived on water; they _needed_ it. They couldn't exactly just leave.

So where were they?

Link tentatively poked the massive ice cube that used to be a waterfall, prodding it with his sword. He then placed a bomb right beside it and did his best to scramble away before the explosive could detonate.

As he had predicted, the ice was so thick that his most destructive weapon wasn't powerful enough to leave a scratch. He returned to the area, waving away the cloud of dust and ice he had disturbed, before he whipped out his Megaton Hammer. Once again, he struck the surface, yet the tool yielded the same result as the bombs. No damage was dealt.

"Link!" Link heard from somewhere above him. He spun around, noticing that the Hero of Twilight had vanished from sight.

"He's climbed to the top," Navi deduced. "He's gone to see King Zora."

"Yeah, I wanna see him too," Link agreed, returning his weapon to its place in his inventory and sliding across the ground toward a small area just below the fork in the paths. His feet touched the solid stone, allowing him to run easier as he darted past the sign pointing toward the throne room. He entered a more enclosed space, then turned left and dashed up a long flight of stairs, snow pounding his face.

Though he had been expecting to see King Zora and perhaps one or two of the other Zoras, what Link found instead was quite different. He skidded to a halt beside the Hero of Twilight, not even bothering to look at his friend as he caught sight of His Majesty sitting atop a frozen waterfall. However, unlike the pale blue ice all around him, the King himself was frozen in a red iceberg with a point so sharp they could probably impale Ganondorf on it.

Link stood there, eyes wide and mouth agape. He took a few tiny steps forward, ascending the small staircase that once allowed him to converse with the King. He looked around the room, hoping to see some other signs of life somewhere—anyone who could explain what had happened to this place. However, the only things that met his eyes were the sign pointing to the diving game where he had acquired the Silver Scale, now completely frozen over; the submerged Gossip Stone below him; and the elevated path that would allow him access to Jabu-Jabu.

Link sprang off the pedestal, not knowing what he was looking for as he raced down the curved path that used to be the diving game. He could hear the Hero of Twilight pursuing him wordlessly, but he pushed the thought out of his mind. Due to the ice, Link was now so high that his head almost touched the ceiling. He was also running across ground so slick that he nearly wasn't able to stop before he slipped off the top of the waterfall. It looked like such a massive drop from up here…

The Hero of Twilight himself almost skidded right off the frozen falls, but Link locked his fingers around the top of his friend's intricate Hylian Shield and yanked him back with a completely stony face. As he turned around to march back to the throne room, he spotted a Gold Skulltula, which he quickly shot down with his Hookshot before seizing its token.

Link proceeded back to the room at a more leisurely pace, not really concerned with running since there was a high chance he would slide into something and break his puny little Hylian neck. He began to walk up the path, passing by the blazing torch that should have at least done _something_ to prevent this place from freezing over.

"What do you intend to do now?" the Hero of Twilight inquired as he joined Link at the top of King Zora's mini waterfall, both of them carefully bypassing His Highness.

"I'm going to figure out what's going on here, and then I'm going to melt the ice and save the Zoras," Link responded simply, marching past the diamond lattice rails and underneath a strange insignia suspended between two ropes. The chill in the air was getting stronger, yet he could clearly see the sheen of ice transition to frigid water. Without hesitation, he stepped into the liquid and continued trudging forward. He could feel the cold through his boots, but he didn't say a word.

He was stopped dead in his tracks by the cry of pain behind him.

Link spun around to see what had happened, unsheathing his weapons and hardening his expression. His eyes instantly locked on the most notable thing: the pale blue figure of ice leaning back ever-so-slightly, with his left arm at his side and his right subtly extended in defense. His eyes widened as he realized he was staring at his friend, now completely covered in ice and emanating a powerful chill.

"Are…" was all Link managed to say before his friend's frigid imprisonment shattered off him, and the Hero of Twilight flung himself back onto the sheen.

"Are you okay?" Navi finished, zipping over to the shuddering Hero, who patted himself off and examined the water.

"I suppose it's just too cold for me," the Hero of Twilight said.

"It's not that bad!" Link insisted, sheathing his weapons and splashing the water. "See?"

The Hylian Hero backed away, shaking his head. "I am unable to tolerate any form of immense chill."

"We can't just leave you!"

"What would you propose we do then?" the Hero of Twilight inquired, gesturing to the water. "I cannot set foot in there; I'll freeze."

Link studied the water, racking his brain to think of some sort of alternative. His friend would need to gain the power of flight to pass through the tunnel. There was nothing in Hyrule that would allow something like that…was there?

 _We've gone this far in the journey,_ Link began. _Fought monsters, traversed dungeons, conquered monsters of incomparable status… And Link is about to be defeated…by ice water._

Navi floated around the Hero of Twilight's head, bombarding him with questions concerning how he knew his Ball and Chain could break ice despite the fact that he clearly was not capable of enduring a little cold water. Apparently, he had always had some way to cross frigid waters without ever having to set foot in them, but there seemed to be nothing of the sort here.

"Be grateful I could endure immense heat without complaint!" the Hero of Twilight fussed. "Doesn't it seem logical that my tolerance of volcanic temperatures would come at the expense of my durability regarding chill?"

"We have to find a way to get you across!" Navi protested.

 _Hold on a moment…_ Link thought, staring at the waters pooling around his feet. _There was another…seven years ago._

"I would be delighted to know your brilliant strategy for such," the Hero of Twilight said irritably. "It was not a choice to be weak to frost."

 _She couldn't endure the challenges facing her…but she_ needed _to continue…_

The Hylian Hero and Navi's bickering came to an abrupt end as Link spoke up.

"I have an idea."

. . . . .

Zora's Fountain was a pretty place. The back wall allowed water to drain out through a fence of tall spiked poles, and the remaining sides were all cliff faces, which enclosed a lake roughly half the size of Lake Hylia. Some strange hill-like area was off to the right, as well as several barren trees, but they did not detract from the enchanting feeling the snowy world created. The vibrant frost, the dancing flakes, and the varying tones of blue-grey spoke volumes of the beauty of cold.

Four elaborately carved stone columns bordered a raised dais, the first two standing double the height of the latter, with the short connected to the tall by low rails. A snowy path jutted out over the crystal clear waters, allowing access to several bergs floating idly atop the surface. Some of them were spinning fast enough to make anyone dizzy, with others caught in a current that caused them to switch places at a fixed rhythm.

"Huh, I wonder where Jabu-Jabu went," the Hero of Time commented, standing on the snow ramp and peering down at the water. "He used to be here."

Navi drifted out over the empty space, examining the area where the huge fish once resided. She seemed to decide she didn't like the thought of drifting so high in the air, instead turning around and catching sight of Link resting against one of the larger columns, staring forward with an absent look in his eyes.

"Quit your skulking. It wasn't that bad," she said.

The Hero of Time snickered, not even bothering to look back at his friend to know that Link was clearly not impressed with the turn of events.

"Next time, I'm going to pick _you_ up without your permission and then carry you over your own pathetic yet unintentional weaknesses," Link snarled, but he wasn't looking at them either. He instead remained pouting, arms folded and hiding the lower half of his face.

 _It wouldn't be so ridiculous if the Hero could just learn how to properly carry someone,_ he internally seethed. _Who in the name of Hyrule carries someone over their_ head _?_

Even Midna was laughing at him, her near-silent giggle echoing in his ears as she used him to shield her from sight while she enjoyed her time in tangible form. Link couldn't even tell her to shut up without drawing attention to himself, so he forced himself to gaze at the boring stone surface directly ahead of him. He couldn't bring himself to meet her single visible eye, nor was he even going to cast a second glance at the other pair off to his right.

"I'm gonna explore it," the Hero of Time said, excitement evident in his voice. He spun around. "You coming, Link?"

"No."

"Oh come on! I didn't drag you up here for nothing!"

"You did."

Midna fell into Link's shadow just as the Hero of Time approached, but neither action caused the Hero of Twilight to look away from the wall. He was going to sit there until he became one with the frost, and even then he would wait.

The Hero of Time began shaking his shoulder. "Come on, Link!"

"No."

"Do I have to carry you over there, too? Because I can totally do that."

Link had quite perfected the evil wolf glare, even in his human form. He chose to use it against the Hero of Time, doing his best to impart a message of purest loathing. However, it seemed his friend was so dense he just couldn't fathom the notion that Link was not in the mood to do anything near him.

 _Even if it was the_ only _way in the entire universe to save Hyrule,_ he began, _there's no way I'll let him carry me. Hyrule can remain a barren wasteland until the end of time. Twilight can fall into oblivion. Zant can shroud the entirety of my homeland in perpetual Twilight. Zelda can remain locked in stasis. Ilia can…_ He trailed off and remained silent for several moments, before finally admitting, _Perhaps for Ilia._

Link issued a long and irritated growl before he grudgingly got to his feet, staring daggers at the Hero of Time. He plodded over to the snow ramp, scowling down at the water. He could hear his friend approaching behind him, so he said in a low tone, "If you push me off, I will drown you."

"Wasn't going to, but that is an excellent idea," the Hero of Time cheered. He patted his companion on the back. "Are you ready to jump down on your own?"

Link wasn't happy about it, but he sprang off the raised snowdrift and fell a short distance to the floe below, only to immediately scamper forward as it trembled beneath him. He shot onto the next berg, scrambling up its slick surface as it threatened to tip back and toss him free.

"Why must these floes be so unstable?" Link snarled. "They were never this unbalanced last time."

"If you've dealt with frost before, why is it so hard for you to tolerate it this time?" Navi inquired as the Hero of Time plummeted to the first berg and darted onto the second.

" _Everything_ was frozen, except one river," Link answered. "I didn't have to deal with any water. And even some of the ice was difficult to withstand."

The Hero of Time slid across the sheen and spotted a Heart Piece just four bergs away. He glanced back at Link. "Do you want a reward for making it this far?"

"Seize it yourself, and keep it to yourself," Link seethed.

"Nice." The Hero of Time darted left onto another notably sized floe before he struggled to retain traction and almost slipped off. He watched the two ahead of him consistently switch places, caught in some unknown current. He hopped onto one and rode it over to the berg where the Heart Piece stood proudly, snatching it up and raising it triumphantly above his head.

"Come on, Link!" the Hylian Hero called as he shot onto the next floe, facing a new one that was spinning endlessly.

With a sigh, Link leapt off his berg and slid across the next, also facing the rotating sheen. Though he wasted no time in pouncing on it, he didn't dare move once he had arrived. Instead, as he regained his footing, he found the world zipping past him at speeds he really didn't appreciate seeing.

The Hero of Time joined him on the floe, smirking as he ran against the twisting with eyes fixed on the next sheen. However, his smugness was short-lived, as he quickly became a perfect example of exactly what Link hoped wouldn't happen; the Hero of Time fell into the water.

"HOLY HYRULE THAT'S COLD!" the other Hero yelped, before he began to paddle over to the shore. He hadn't frozen into a solid block though, which was all that mattered to him as he ascended the snow ramp and prepared to do the entire process all over again.

Link sat down where he was and refused to budge. He had become so dizzy it was hard to see straight, and he wasn't going to turn himself into a Popsicle anytime soon. If Hyrule had been saved by the other Hero before, then surely he could overcome whatever dangers lay ahead in that small cave he was so intent on reaching. The Hero of Twilight wasn't necessary here.

"Get up, Link!" the Hero of Time called to him as he returned to the floe. He tugged on Link, but to no avail.

"I refuse to burden you," the Hero of Twilight responded.

"What?"

"You have been hindered by my reluctance long enough; I believe you must traverse the cave alone."

The Hero of Time stopped tugging, now confused.

"Consider this for just a moment: if I arrive in the cave with you, and there is a significant amount of water, then you will need to limit your own capabilities in order to ensure I may also continue. What of the danger? What if a quick escape is necessitated? How will you accomplish such without either leaving me behind, or inhibiting yourself for my own preservation? It is best to leave me here, to search for any and all clues regarding the Zoras and this mysterious Jabu-Jabu."

"But…but how will you get back?" the Hero of Time asked. "And what if there isn't any water? I need your help! We may not cooperate as a team, but we do get the job done in half the time, and it's significantly easier together."

"I am weak to ice. I am no good to you here."

"He has a point," Navi agreed. "We don't know what's in that cave. If there's any water in there at all, he can't follow, and he'd only slow us down. Sorry Link, but your double is absolutely correct; he can't accompany us here."

"But…" the Hero of Time protested.

"I do want to know how you'll return to Zora's Domain to search for clues, though," Navi continued.

Link looked up thoughtfully. "I suppose I'll play the Prelude of Light, then return to Zora's Domain."

Both Navi and the Hero of Time were completely silent, apparently thinking that over. It was the fairy who responded first with, "I never considered you might use Link's Ocarina."

"Indeed. So if either of you would like to proceed with the quest, then by all means," Link began, gesturing towards the cave.

"Wait," the Hero of Time said, holding up one finger. "If you're just going to leave me to quest alone, then you'd better lend me your assistance regardless." He extended his hand. "I want your bottles and your spiked sphere on a chain."

Link regarded him with a hint of suspicion before relenting and pulling out four bottles. He also whipped out his lantern, pouring his oil into it and turning the empty bottle over to his friend.

"Please do try not to use them; the purple one is very rare," he said as he surrendered the bottle of Fairy's Tears, a captured fairy, and another empty bottle that once contained red potion.

"Even the empty bottles?" Navi scoffed, only to be lightly swatted by her Hero.

"A bottle is the greatest prize in all of Hyrule," he said. "All of them could have been empty and I still would have accepted them; who knows what things we'll find in there that may necessitate storage?"

Link then reached into his pouch and pulled out the Ball and Chain. "Careful, it's heavy." He placed it in the other Hero's hands, watching his friend strain from the weight and struggle to raise it over his head in celebration. The Hylian Hero set it in his own inventory seconds later, before giving a short wave and doing his best to face the next floe.

"I'll meet you in the throne room," he said.

"And if you aren't there?" Link inquired.

"Then you're going to need to get over your inhibition regarding ice and you're going to have to magic your way inside the cavern."

"Agreed."

The Hero of Time gave a single nod before he fought the rotation of the floe and sprang onto the next one, changing direction and pouncing on the third. It wasn't twisting whatsoever, which he noticed as he stood at one end of it and caused the heavier end to dip into the water. He quickly dashed toward the mouth of the cave, leaping up and catching the ledge. He hoisted himself into the entrance, gave one final wave of farewell, and disappeared into the shadows.

"Just going to abandon him?" Midna inquired, disentangling herself from the ground and solidifying into a solid shape.

"He doesn't die," Link explained, pulling out the borrowed Ocarina. "And if he does, I'm certain he has plenty of fairies to fix that."

"I think you need to join him," Midna insisted, snapping her fingers and turning Link's item into small Twilit squares, which she summoned and seized in her tiny palms. "Saving Hyrule is no small task, Link; you of all people should know that."

"I'm getting sick on this iceberg, Midna," Link responded. "The goddesses chose him as the Hero of Time, selected specifically to save this Hyrule. That's proof that they believe he's capable of overcoming whatever challenges await him, with or without my help. Remember that in every dungeon he has caught up with us, using different resources to accomplish the same thing. He was designed to save this land; we are merely guests in his world."

Midna still didn't seem satisfied, her fingers continuing to play with the small squares as she met her Hylian's eyes, refusing to back down. She would need more convincing.

"Well, I suppose I could always climb back onto the uppermost section of the snow and attempt to cross the frigid waters back to Zora's Domain. Midna, transform into wolf."

She remained silent.

Link frowned at her, before an idea drifted into his mind. "You know, my bestial form has a lovely fur coat, and it's quite cold here. At the very least, you could allow me to become a wolf to keep warm."

The small squares that used to be an Ocarina had now completely vanished, and Midna's expression hadn't changed. She wasn't going to let him abandon his friend, no matter what.

"If you transform me into a wolf, I'll let you snuggle up into my fur," Link bribed.

It seemed he had gone too far. Midna's expression flashed with an emotion he didn't have time to identify, before she collided with him and pressed something sharp and hard into his palm. He found himself collapsing on the ground at her feet, before the world fractured off and left him seeing nothing but pure darkness.

Then, the next thing he knew, he was on his feet…all four of them. His eyesight was rebuilt as the Twilit squares reassembled his body in front of the stairs that led to the frozen King Zora, and behind them the two torches flickered. She had warped him out of there?

"I did this for the warmth," Midna said, tugging on Link's ears and forcing him to trot over to the flames. She slid off his side and huddled up near the torch, but the way her hair-hand shifted indicated that Link was going to need to sit down with her or she would crush him. Cautiously, he sat behind her and laid down, only to feel her tug on his left front paw and force him to curl around her.

As much as Link wanted to laugh at her, he had to admit that she was right about being cold; her skin was just as frigid as his had been when he turned to ice. He was the most effective source of heat, too; his fur kept him warm and maintained his temperature as if he had his own personal fire.

"No longer concerned about the Hero of Time?" Link asked her.

"I'm sure Link will be fine," Midna agreed.

"When do you suppose I may keep my word and seek out any and all traces of these absent Zoras?"

She gave him an unamused stare. "I was kind enough to warp you _before_ you completed a dungeon, just so you could get out of there without getting your precious paws wet. And you're already looking to leave? We just sat down."

"Though I refused to explore the cold, I will not be inhibited from saving the world. We didn't thoroughly examine this place, and I intend to do so with the keen senses of a beast, especially more so that Link is not here to discover us."

Midna pressed tighter against his side, gathering his fur around her as if he were a coat. "I thought I made it clear that I did this for the warmth."

"If no traces of the Zoras can be located, then we shall return here to the flames. Will this be satisfactory?"

"What if he comes back early and sees us?"

"Midna," Link sniffed, poking her with his nose. "I am but a simple wolf, a monster in this world. Link seeks my human form, not this cursed bestial body. We need only return me to my human self in a different location than where he sighted my canine identity, and then proceed to head to the throne room as if I were never here at all."

Midna tapped his nose. "You've gotten quite sneaky. Don't tell me your little show up there was just one more way you could justify separation so you could sniff around?"

Link bared his fangs into a grin. "You know me well."

Midna rolled her eyes before her body passed straight through the floor, falling into Link's shadow and making her presence there quite known. He stared at her image in the ground, only for the shadowy form to fade out of existence completely, causing him to leap to his feet and sniff the floor.

She seized this opportunity to materialize above him and crash down onto his back. Link coughed, only to give her an annoyed growl and turn toward the small ramp leading to King Zora. He dashed up the path, tentatively sniffing the red ice for any intriguing smells that might help him locate where the Zoras had vanished.

Fortunately, there were plenty of scents to be found; Link did his special spin of celebration for learning a new smell, forgot the Goron's scent, and stood up to find several paths of red waiting for him. The trails were old, but that wasn't enough to prevent him from utilizing them. He leapt off the small frozen falls, chain clinking as he hit the ice below and turned to face the stairs leading down to the main section of Zora's Domain.

He only hoped he would not prematurely be discovered sniffing around.

. . . . .

 **A/N: And after revisiting this fanfiction and seeing how stupidly I named TP Link's horse, I thought for a moment how I should probably change it. I thought of how you can name your horse in Twilight Princess, and I was like, "Hey, I wonder what I named her? Maybe I can use it for the fanfiction."**

 **No. I cannot. I named Epona ClopClop.**

 **That's okay: my friend named her "horse" (lowercase and everything).**

 **True creativity.**

 **I think I'll just stick to Epalon. Or you guys can name the horse. What do** _ **you**_ **think I should call him?**


	21. Ice Cavern

**A/N: Well, we've come to a mini dungeon, so now's as good a time as any to ask what your favorite Zelda dungeon is. In OoT, I like the Spirit Temple most, but in TP I prefer either Arbiter's Grounds or Snowpeak Ruins.**

 **Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Twenty

Ice Cavern

Much to the Hero of Twilight's delight, Link wouldn't discover him trotting around and scouring the Domain as a beast, though the move was risky to say the least. No, because Link wasn't such a wuss that he would back down from a challenge because of a little water. He was the Hero of Time, a youth whose destiny it was to save the world. He could endure any trial, overcome any obstacle, traverse any dungeon, master any item, and was all around just pure awesomeness.

He was also stuck. And not even for good reason.

Link had been casually smashing through several icicles with his sword and narrowly avoiding being impaled by some hanging from the ceiling, which came screaming down to kill him as if they were alive or had known he was coming. He had followed the twists and turns of the Cavern, crunching over snow and stomping over frigid stone. He had even found himself locked in combat with some glassy monsters that shot breath so cold it had turned him to ice.

He skated, he avoided Blade Traps, he trudged through more snow and cut down additional ice; he scampered around and ducked beneath a gigantic spinning blade manned by no one but out for blood nonetheless; he collected silver rupees that mysteriously unlocked a door—by whatever odd logic existed in this goddess-forsaken Cavern; he maneuvered around some icy jets of air that came from Hyrule-knows-where, and he shot down some vicious Ice Keese that he could swear did more damage than Fire Keese.

And now he was sitting in front of a chest that was completely covered in that mysterious red ice. He had attempted to melt it into a puddle with Din's Fire, but that didn't work. He had assaulted it with the sphere he acquired from his friend—which apparently was referred to as the Ball and Chain. He tried the Megaton Hammer, before resorting to bombs. He even shot his arrows through the mysterious blue fire blazing behind him and attempted to strike the chest, but every attempt seemed in vain. He knew there had to be some sort of secret to the chest, but whatever it could be was eluding him.

Link had even abandoned the treasure, proceeding on with his quest, only to circle back due to his inability to progress; all that lay ahead was more of that red ice. Navi was muttering something about taking the fire with him, but how was he supposed to accomplish that? Deku Sticks burned up too easily, and he inexplicably couldn't use them as an adult anyway.

He was simply stuck here.

"Why not try a bottle?" Navi suggested.

"Fire can't survive without oxygen," Link answered.

"This isn't natural fire, Link."

"Never would have guessed," he said sarcastically, "seeing as it's blue and all."

"You were doing so well!" Navi said. "You made so much progress, even without help. You were adventuring with your old spirit!"

Link licked the ice.

"What are you doing?" Navi sighed.

"Trying every option."

"Try capturing that fire to take it with you."

"Sure. My hat should be a nice thing to set on fire."

"Well, would you rather go back and ask Link if he's got anything you can use to break this?"

Link rose to his feet and spun around. "No." He trudged back to the fire, rifling through his inventory for any sort of object that might be able to withstand the flames. Could he possibly stick Din's Fire in there and turn it blue? Would that work? There was nothing else in his items selection that could possibly be of any use. Did he just not have the right weapon for this?

 _Fire can't survive in a bottle,_ he told himself as he dropped Din's Fire into the flames. Other than the stark contrast between the hot orange and the cold blue, nothing was interesting about it. _I guess I need to retrieve my crystal…_ Link was only half thinking as he reached into the fire and retrieved the diamond. He stuffed it back into his inventory absentmindedly, only to realize that he had just stuck his hand in _fire_.

That thought stirred him back to his senses, causing him to look to his hand in horror. He almost flung his fingerless gauntlet off, but neglected to do so when he noticed that his fingers were perfectly fine. He had not been burned…

 _Fire?_ Link wondered. Despite how stupid he knew it was, he grudgingly reached into his pouch, retrieving one of his seven bottles and swiping his hand straight through the flames. He immediately corked the glass, watching the blue flames flicker but not sputter out. He cocked his head to the side, peering through the glass carefully.

"I _told_ you," Navi said snidely.

Link marched over to the treasure chest, uncorking the bottle and dumping the fire onto the ice.

As Navi had predicted, the fire ate through the ice, engulfing the bottom of the encasement and causing it to steam and hiss. Link frowned, but reached into the chest regardless and pulled out a dungeon map.

 _I hate it when she's right,_ he thought, pocketing the nifty device and darting back over to the Blue Fire, acquiring several more bottles full so he wouldn't have to return here again. _I can stand to be wrong, but being right goes to her head._ He trotted forward, leaping off the raised platform and skidding across the ice below. He then ascended some snowy stairs, turning left and then right before sliding over another icy floor.

Link scarcely escaped being sliced open by a Blade Trap, only to crash into one of those evil frosty monsters with frigid breath; Navi called them Freezards. Link was impressed by the fact that he could stab them and they would make some sort of bestial noise, despite not possessing _any_ kind of internal organs. He quickly dispatched it with his sword, lopping off its head and then causing it to melt into a puddle. He then proceeded to bypass a second Blade Trap and dart down a winding snowy path.

Having already explored the room he was about to drop into, Link didn't even bother to look around as he jumped down. He ducked beneath the massive rotating Ice Blade before heading straight to the left, dumping out another bottle of fire on the wall of ice.

"It's kind of strange that fire is normally red and ice is normally blue, yet when the ice is red, it can only be overcome by blue fire," Link observed offhandedly.

"The fire is cold, too," Navi said. "As evidenced by the Keese that used it to ignite their bodies to freeze you. And you licked the ice without your tongue getting stuck, which tells me that's warm."

"Ganondorf needs to stop toying with hot and cold; fire should be scalding, and ice should be freezing, not the other way around."

"Too bad your friend couldn't complain about the cold fire as well."

Link didn't mind the Hero of Twilight's absence too much. His mood was gradually beginning to improve anyway, now that he could once again progress. He wasn't even disappointed to run down another snow passage and find himself in a circular room with no other exits, filled only with icy stalagmites and stalactites.

He spotted another torch bearing Blue Fire directly ahead, barricaded by fragile spikes of frost. He dashed forward, deciding to refill his bottles, just in case. Overhead, the stalactites rattled dangerously, several detaching from the ceiling and screaming to the ground. Link twisted slightly, allowing them to explode around him as he slammed his blade into the stalagmites. Fragments of ice flew everywhere, glittering as they raced around him and reflected the cool blue of the flames.

A single Keese rested patiently in front of the fire, staring at Link dully and flapping its wings. He didn't give it time to recognize his presence, instead prodding it with his sword and watching it go up in a flame of its own. He then ascended the raised dais and refilled the two bottles he had used up, quickly glancing at his inventory as he put them away. Apparently, he had four bottles of arctic fire. Would that be enough?

Link's keen Hylian ears allowed him to perceive the distinct sounds of scratching associated with a Gold Skulltula, coming from his eight o'clock. He turned around to see it, only to spot a solid block of red ice shaped like a three-dimensional upright pentagon. Contained within the transparent sheen, a Heart Piece could be seen rotating unhindered.

 _The Skulltula can wait,_ Link thought, breaking through the other stalagmites and dumping a bottle of frigid flames onto the red ice. As the scarlet hissed and puffed, he reached into the remains and rescued the Heart Piece, holding it over his head triumphantly; he just needed one more and he would have a full Heart Container.

The Skulltula continued scratching somewhere nearby, causing him to spin in a circle and scour the walls. Link then directed his attention upward to a column of ice that seemed to be supporting the ceiling, much more stable than the pathetic stalagmites and stalactites he had been obliterating on his journey. As he suspected, a Gold Skulltula was aimlessly spinning in circles, lost or something.

Link wasted no time in shooting it with his Hookshot, claiming its token, and turning to see what else lay hidden in this room. The only area left to explore there was directly ahead of him now, also barricaded by more fragile stalagmites, with two columns of solid ice on either side. He dashed forward, knocking aside the brittle spikes and raising his Hookshot once again.

Navi fluttered up to target the two Keese Link had spotted clinging to the wall just above another massive treasure chest, so she turned yellow and began encircling the one on the lower right. Once he had eliminated that, she switched her focus to the upper left, before returning to her Hylian's side as he approached the chest with his nifty Blue Fire and dumped it on the treasure.

"I bet it's a compass," Link said as the ice hissed all around him. "I've been through enough dungeons to know the routine." He opened the chest, golden light shining in his face as he reached into the box. As he had predicted, a large blue compass waited patiently for him. "I still don't understand why they need these large treasure chests for such miniature objects."

"Maybe it's for the aesthetic?" Navi suggested as Link pocketed the item and headed to the fire to refill his bottles.

Link shrugged his response as he captured the flames, before turning to the exit and racing back out. The sooner he could leave this icy nightmare, the better. He heard a series of crashes behind him, which told him that more stalactites had learned he was leaving and were doing their best to prevent that; he ignored them and instead glanced at his compass to learn where he needed to go next.

Since the small room had only one exit, he found himself back in the location with the gigantic Ice Blade. Across from him, he could see another wall of red ice waiting to be melted, so he followed the twisting scythe to avoid getting cut open by it as he skated over the floor toward the next room. A suicidal or possibly possessed pot out for revenge for its fallen brethren whizzed past him as he skidded into the wall. Link watched it shatter just off to his left, but he disregarded it and whipped out another bottle of Blue Fire.

With the translucent wall of red now hissing and steaming at his feet, the Hero of Time sprang into the new section of the cave, following the twisting snowy path to the right and stopping in front of more stalagmites. He slipped over the ice coating some of the snow, only to get hit in the head by one of the sneaky stalactites; it looked like they finally succeeded in harming him.

 _So be it,_ Link thought, brushing ice crystals off himself and taking off his hat to shake it clean. He plopped it back on his head, then proceeded to run the rest of the tunnel, stopping only as the next room came into view.

It did not look fun at all. The entirety of the floor was made of extremely slick ice, with large square holes cut into the four corners of the room. Fog shrouded the surface, disguising the absences in the ground and making them harder to locate. A flattened square cube rested on the floor ahead, with several cracks tracing their way from the ice block. At the opposite end of the room, an indent in the wall was illuminated by the torch of Blue Fire blazing beautifully within it. The right wall contained a silver rupee frozen in red, and the left led to another path blocked by bars.

Link frowned, watching three Ice Keese flit sporadically through the air, maneuvering around four other silver rupees glittering throughout the room. Three were on columns too high for him to climb, but the fourth seemed easy enough to acquire on its pedestal.

Link leapt down from his place, holding out his Hookshot to strike down the Keese first; he did not want to get turned back into a Popsicle. The first of the bats was stupid enough to fly straight toward him, so he dispatched it quickly enough. He then spent several moments scrambling around on the slippery floor and trying not to hit anything as he chased after the other two enemies. He only managed to kill one after he crashed into a column, and the second he slew after it caught sight of his new location and charged after him.

"Good work!" Navi encouraged. "You're getting better."

"Thanks," Link replied, turning to face the column. As he previously suspected, it was just a touch too high to ascend without assistance, so he skittered over to the lowest pillar and leapt onto it. He snatched the rotating silver rupee out of the air before he darted over to the flattened square block. He almost slid right past it, so he reached out and seized the side of it, pushing hard.

Because he imagined that the ice would be frozen to the floor, Link wasn't expecting his support to slide free. A small yelp escaped him as he slipped completely onto the ground, staring somewhat irritatedly as the cube crashed into the pillar ahead. With a snort, he shot to his feet, carefully stepping over the frozen ground and grabbing the block once again so he wouldn't lose his footing.

It was only as he held the ice that Link realized he had just made the perfect path to grab the silver rupee atop the rock pillar. He smirked and jumped onto the cube, tentatively marching toward the fractured column and climbing it also.

 _Ah, so that's how this works,_ Link thought, turning to face the rest of the puzzle. He took a step forward, not really considering the size of his platform. That was evident as his boot slid off the side, causing him to gasp and catch the edge of the pillar before he could completely fall to the ground. Seeing that the drop was nothing worthwhile, he released the stone and skirted the ice cube so he could push it toward the next rupee.

Link almost had a heart attack when his boots refused to grip the ground and he found himself veering dangerously close to one of the holes in the ground. He sucked in a long breath as he did his best to stumble backwards, but his forward momentum did not cease.

 _If I have to do this entire puzzle again…!_ was all he managed to think before his boots stuck to the ground, his toes hanging over the edge and his arms extended for balance so he wouldn't plummet into the abyss. Shakily, Link backed away and let out his breath, kicking the block forward in frustration and watching it slide to the next column.

Link quickly darted away from the void, still not having learned his lesson about skating without the proper footwear. He crashed into the block with a small grunt before hefting himself onto it and further onto the next column. He pocketed the next silver rupee, dropping down from the column and carefully sidling along the edge of the hole in the bottom left half of the floor. He pushed the block away from the abyss, not wanting his convenient platform to disappear forever.

 _I bet the other Link has some nifty way of collecting these rupee triggers without so much energy and effort,_ the Hero of Time thought as he moved the ice once again, sending it into the next pillar and climbing onto that as well.

"The door's still not unlocked," Navi observed as Link acquired his next rupee.

"Yes," Link agreed as he pushed the cube toward the northern half of the room. "Because I still haven't melted the final rupee out of its icy—" He cut himself short as he sent the block to the right, forgetting that there was nothing to stop it from dropping into one of the four holes. "MY ICE!"

Navi seemed just as urgent, flying as fast as her glassy wings would take her. She hovered over the void, daring to float just a little lower so she could get a better look into the darkness. Her body could only illuminate so much, even as she fluttered lower and lower to see where the cube had went.

Link sank to his knees near the hole, staring down into the infinite blackness with a look of abject horror on his face. "What have I done?"

Navi sped back over to him and landed on his shoulder. "It's gone, Link."

The Hero of Time remained in his place, peering into the darkness as if expecting the cube to magically float back up. "Gone…?"

"Gone…" Navi confirmed.

Link pushed himself away from the edge, looking at the ceiling shrouded in shadows. Was there another cube up there that needed to be knocked down? Was there some other way to climb up the high parts of the room? Surely this wasn't a puzzle he only received one chance to get right.

"I have to jump into the abyss," Link murmured.

" _What_?!" Navi demanded, springing up and down on his shoulder. "It's not _that_ bad, Link!"

"There's no other way out of this room. Everything's too high; I need the block. Either it's down there and I can retrieve it, or I'll die and the goddesses will set me back at the beginning of this Cavern for me to try again. No matter what, I have to jump down."

"Oh, sure, just haul a solid chunk of ice out of the bottom of an endless void. How will _you_ get back out?"

"Farore's Wind."

"Why don't you just whack one of those columns down with your Megaton Hammer and use it instead?"

As Link turned to look at her to explain that the Hammer couldn't break something that wasn't brittle, he spotted something strange. Behind her, resting before the path he had used to enter the room, a flat square block waited patiently.

"It's back!" Link exclaimed, launching to his feet and skating across the floor towards the ice platform.

"What?!" Navi herself also whirled around to see, instantly spying the blue cube. "How?"

"Hyrulian magic," Link cheered, placing his hands against it and pushing it forward. He darted to its left, nearly skidded straight past, and proceeded to kick it toward the niche containing the red ice. Blue fire engulfed the base as he uncorked his bottle, and he seized the final silver rupee. Behind him, on the opposite wall, the bars retracted into the ceiling, allowing passage to what his map told him was one of the final locations within the Cavern.

Link dropped down from the niche and tried to pull the block towards him so he could ascend the new pathway, but the ice wouldn't budge. Confused, he looked left, then right, searching for any other place he could slide the cube towards. Unfortunately, there was only a bottomless pit on either side.

"Hyrulian magic, don't fail me now," Link uttered under his breath as he pushed the ice to the left hole. He watched with disappointment as the ice fell into abyss. Anxiety began building within him as he skated over to the area he had retrieved his footstool from the last time, Navi herself completely silent with anticipation as she rested on his shoulder.

Much to the duo's surprise, the ice at their feet began to rise, forming a block perfectly identical to the one that had plummeted into infinite blackness seconds earlier. Link grinned and forced it southward, then kicked it right, and then pushed it toward the west half of the room. He leapt onto it before crawling over to the brazier of Blue Fire.

"Just in case," Link explained to Navi as he captured more flames in his emptied bottles. He then leapt down and pushed the block toward the east end of the room, where it slammed into another incomplete column. He proceeded to send it skidding across the floor to the final passage, which he promptly ascended and raced down.

 _We're nearing the end!_ Link thought, glancing at his map for a split second before he turned right. He crunched to a halt, snow caking the soles of his leather boots as he found himself in front of another Freezard, which blew a breath of frigid ice directly at him. Once again, Link became his own Popsicle, suspended in ice so thick he could hardly see through it. Why did the Hero of Twilight simply turn into a statue, whereas Link himself became his own personal iceberg?

Link tensed, pulling down against the ice and shattering it completely off his body. He then impaled the Freezard, whacked several stalagmites out of his path, maneuvered around falling stalactites, and proceeded to kill a second Freezard that had been hiding around the bend.

A wall of red icebergs blocked the rest of his path, but Link had four filled bottles of Blue Fire. The ice melted into a hissing puddle at his feet, and the Hero of Time began smashing the two pots he had just released.

Link turned to face the rest of the path, only to find nothing but a blank wall. He pulled out his map for a moment, staring at it just to confirm that he had indeed traveled the right direction. According to his item, there was a small entrance here.

 _Is…is it part of the wall?_ Link wondered, approaching the ice and resting his hand against a coarser section. To his surprise, a perfectly shaped door slid into the ceiling, allowing access to the final room of the Cavern. Throwing caution to the wind, the Hero of Time leisurely strolled inside, allowing the door to slide shut behind him.

Iron bars slammed down with it.

Link risked a glimpse back at the door, only to whirl around and face the new room once again. His eyes passed over the glittering walls, studying the multitudes of perfect crystalline figures that formed the surface. Several icy stalagmites jutted out of the ground, but these were not sharp or jagged. Light was reflected off every crystal face, illuminating the room in a vivid and beautiful blue.

The only thing that ruined the enchanting feeling of the Ice Cavern's most exquisite room was the tortured howl of a Wolfos. Link stared stonily as the beast rose from the ground, its coat vibrant white like the snow it was assembled from. It spread its disproportionate arms to the side dramatically as it called into the cavern, as if intending to shake loose the ice crystals hanging from the ceiling by its voice alone. The beast then lowered its head, glowing red eyes locked maliciously on the Hero of Time.

Link shot back as the beast attempted to shred him with its massive claws, his Hylian Shield raised defensively as the monster began to race around him. The Wolfos seemed larger than its warmer counterparts from the Forest Temple, but it drooled an equal amount and moved in the same clumsy manner. It was hunched so far over that Link couldn't fathom how it still managed to run. He lashed out at it, blade crashing into its thick fur that was stronger than armor as it raised its forelegs over its head protectively.

The Wolfos growled at him and raked its claws across his shield, leaving a small opening in the beast's defenses. Link seized the brief window of opportunity and jabbed it under the ribs with his sword, causing it to cry out and curl up, shielding itself with its armor-like forelegs once again.

A short game of Ring Around the Rosie later, Link decided to think like a Wolfos. He pounced forward, his blade scraping down the beast's chest. The monster let out a pained howl once again, trying in vain to defend itself whilst simultaneously attempting to shred the Hero of Time.

"Hey," Navi called as Link raised his Shield, sparks flying across the metal as the claws rang out against it. "Do you suppose that black wolf from Death Mountain Crater can communicate with the Wolfos?"

"Navi…" Link struck the beast again, sending it reeling and spitting. "What even do you think about when you target foes?"

"I'm just wondering if it could talk these canines into backing off, seeing as it's the only feral beast that hasn't been out to eat you so far."

Link was silent, considering the notion himself as the Wolfos regained its senses and charged him again. "That is worth some observation…" he agreed, thrusting his sword at the beast and lodging the tool into the monster's ribs.

A final wail of agony escaped the Wolfos, its body shuddering uncontrollably as its last breath escaped with the crackle of pale blue flames that seemed quite different than Link's Blue Fire. Its form was reduced to nothingness instantaneously, and the bars restricting the exit were raised back into the ceiling with the final echo of its howl.

At the far end of the room, a golden light whirled around a section of the floor directly in front of an oddly square puddle Link didn't remember seeing earlier. His attention was drawn away from the liquid as a chest shimmered into existence, its wooden surface equally as large as the ones he found maps or compasses within.

"Item!" Link celebrated, sprinting over the snow and immediately throwing the lid open. A blinding light escaped the treasure chest, but he ignored it as he reached inside and pulled out Hyrule's latest fashion trend.

"Steel-toed boots?" Navi inquired.

"I got the Iron Boots!" Link said, turning around and holding them over his head—a dangerous move, considering their weight. They looked identical to his current shoes, except for the crucial detail of being covered in dark grey metal at the bottom.

 _So heavy, I can't run,_ he added mentally. _So heavy, I can't float._ He pocketed the Boots, slipping them into his magical pouch that inexplicably made all his items weightless and easily transportable.

Link was about to consider casually meandering about the cavern to continue his search for the Zoras, or possibly just try to lick the crystals and see if they were truly made of ice. However, before he could even carefully contemplate his next plan of action, he spotted something quite familiar yet unexpected. Out of reflex, he flinched, his eyes widening and his mouth dropping open.

"We meet again, Link…" Sheik said, standing in front of the exit.

Navi fluttered over to the male, which the Hero of Time took as an excuse to approach the individual. Though Link couldn't see much of his face, he was certain that the Sheikah's curious expression meant the male was expecting something; his single visible red eye was searching the room, skimming the walls and passing over the snow to locate any traces of the Hero of Time's absent double.

Even when he wasn't present, the Hero of Twilight was causing mischief. Way to go, other Link.

Sheik's visible eye narrowed gleefully; he had not detected this second Hero, which meant that the other Link wasn't there. Maybe for once he could get his message along without any interruptions.

"If you came here to meet the Zoras, you wasted your time…" the Sheikah began, his voice sounding infinitely more mysterious, while his words turned the Hero's blood to ice. "This is all there is…"

Link could feel shivers tracing down his spine, his eyes widening as his mind processed this information. _Something truly tragic has happened to the Zoras,_ he realized. He could feel sorrow rising within him, his gaze falling to the ground and his expression saddening. The final piece of Hyrule he remembered so clearly from seven years ago—this Zora's Domain—had been reduced to a wasteland, just like the rest of Hyrule. Everything about it, the entirety of its majesty and beauty, was now stolen away, down to its very last inhabitant.

"With one exception, the Zoras are now sealed under this thick ice sheet…" Sheik explained.

"And this exception is…?" Link inquired, hoping for any traces of the former world he remembered, any indication that at least _one_ thing remained. However, he only grew paler as the Sheikah proceeded with, "I managed to rescue the Zora princess from under the ice, but…"

 _Oh no, Ruto's here!_ Link panicked, temporarily distracted from his other thoughts as he strained every fiber of his being to resist the urge to look around and see if she had somehow snuck into the Cavern without him noticing.

"She left to head for the Water Temple…"

 _Oh, sweet, Ruto's_ not _here,_ Link celebrated internally. Another day he could spend not worrying about fiancées, marriage, crazy fish-girls… _Wait! I'm an adult now! I'm going to have to marry her now that I've grown up!_

Link had gone as white as a Zora while Sheik continued with, "This ice is created by an evil curse… The monster in the Water Temple is the source of the curse. Unless you shut off the source, this ice will never melt…. If you have courage enough to confront the danger and save the Zoras, I will teach you the melody that leads to the temple."

"I have the courage," Link agreed.

"Time passes, people move…. Like a river's flow, it never ends… A childish mind will turn to noble ambition…"

 _Ha, no it won't._

"Young love will become deep affection…"

 _IF I FALL IN LOVE WITH RUTO, I'LL JUMP BACK INTO JABU-JABU'S BELLY!_ Link internally vowed, turning from white to red.

"The clear water's surface reflects growth… Now listen to the Serenade of Water to reflect upon yourself…." Sheik reached into his secret hidden stash and retrieved his harp, gently pulling several strings so that his melody started off low and gradually raised in pitch, with the third and fourth notes sounding identical before lightening for the fifth and final note. As was tradition, he repeated the notes for the Hero of Time to copy.

Link whipped out his Ocarina before he could forget the melody, closing his eyes to aid his memory. Fortunately, this song wasn't nearly as convoluted as the Bolero of Fire, so he rattled off the notes with ease. Navi began excitedly bouncing up and down, celebrating that he nailed it on his first try.

The notes reflected off the perfect crystal faces, echoing beautifully off the walls as if repeated by an unseen symphony, yet the only two instrumentalists present were the harpist and the flutist. As the sounds faded to silence, Link opened his eyes and noticed the strange sparkling glow emitting from his Ocarina.

 _I have learned the Serenade of Water!_ he thought as he examined his instrument.

Sheik pocketed his harp. "Link…"

Link looked up.

"I'll see you again…" He took two steps back, causing Link to flinch and run towards him.

"Wait!" the Hero of Time called, but he only scarcely managed to raise his hand to shield his eyes before the world was washed in blinding white. He looked around, yet the Sheikah was nowhere to be found, as usual.

 _Teach me your ways,_ Link thought. _My Deku Nuts are lame._ He remained where he stood for several moments, before finally speaking aloud, "So…we searched this place to find a solution for King Zora to inquire where his inhabitants have vanished… And the Zoras are all frozen."

"Yes," Navi confirmed. "As with everything in this Hyrule, it's become a dystopian land, devoid of all things that made it meaningful. Ganondorf has laid waste to everything." She could see the change of expression on her Hylian's face, so she quickly added, "That's why we're going to stop him, Link!"

 _Is there even anything left to protect…?_ Link wondered. _Anywhere we could preserve if we "stop" him?_

"That's why we have to save the Zoras!"

 _The Kokiri Forest, the Lost Woods, Kakariko Village, Goron City, Hyrule Castle, Castle Town, Hyrule Field, Lon Lon Ranch, and even Zora's Domain… There's not a single place left to protect anymore. If I had been sealed into the Temple of Time for even a year longer, there wouldn't be a Hyrule to return to; the Gorons would be devoured, and the soldiers are already completely obliterated. The Zoras are inaccessible and potentially would never be recovered._

Navi was still bouncing around in front of Link, trying to get his attention so they could continue adventuring.

 _Is it wrong…to want to go back? Is it cowardly…to want the nightmare to never exist?_ Link balled his fists. _The goddesses sealed me away for seven years because I was too young to wield the Master Sword, but I've only physically aged; my mind is still that of the child who wanted to save Hyrule from an evil I scarcely knew was coming. Is it wrong to wish I was still a kid, protecting a world that was almost completely safe?_

"Link?"

 _Everything I know about Hyrule…is gone._ He turned away from the door, trudging towards the puddle at the far end of the room instead, Navi energetically zipping after him and returning to her usual mood as Link seemingly regained himself. He temporarily ignored her in favor of considering the water, knowing there had to be something special about it since no puddles were naturally square.

"Hmm," Navi murmured as Link examined the water and deduced that it was _not_ a puddle, but instead an extra passageway. "I guess it's a good thing Link didn't come with us after all." Her words were somewhat lacking emotion, which was a clear indication that she had begun to resent allowing the other Hero to _not_ accompany them. This little puddle would have been the one thing he couldn't plunge into; the rest of the dungeon could have been easily traversed by him.

Link, eager to try out his new item, quickly kicked off his Kokiri boots and tugged on his Iron Boots. He took three steps forward, holding his breath before he fell much faster into the icy water than he was expecting. He flailed his arms, only to continue slipping into the depths as if he wasn't struggling at all. His boots touched solid ground, and he swung his feet forward to conquer this new weight.

Though the chill stung his eyes, Link kept them open and marched to the door he could clearly see through the transparent blue. It slid into the ceiling to allow him access to the rest of the room, which he did his best to scurry into despite his heavy fashion statement.

"You can't breathe underwater!" Navi snapped at Link as he scrambled to the top of a snowy hill, darting out of said water. "If you start choking, take off those boots!"

"Your advice was a bit late," he told her, removing the shoes and returning them to his inventory for later use. He fished out his other boots and did his best to put them on quickly, before he got to his feet and began wringing out the bottom of his tunic as he trudged through the snow. He approached the edge of the tunnel he had entered, peering down at the ice below and spotting a Blade Trap whizzing in a circle at high speeds. "I suppose we've reentered the first room of this Cavern."

"So Link _could_ have come along after all," Navi murmured.

"Don't forget it was _you_ who wouldn't let me bring him along despite his protests," Link reminded her, dropping back down into the main part of the Cavern and rolling to the left. He weaved around several ice stalagmites, crunching over the thinning snow and back onto the cold stony surface near the cave's exit.

"He made a good point!" Navi argued as Link bypassed a single red iceberg enclosing absolutely nothing.

"But you can't pester him for not joining, when you yourself are the reason he didn't join." Link darted over more stone, his eyes catching sight of the pale white light at the end of the cave. He rolled toward it, leaping out of the Cavern and plunging back into the frigid waters. As his head dipped below the surface, his eyes caught sight of something sparkling at the bottom, and he found himself reaching into his pouch as he swam for the largest ice floe.

Navi didn't notice what Link was up to until his head sank completely beneath the water once again, and she quickly chased after him. She caught sight of his Iron Boots gleaming wickedly in the water, his green form sinking into the depths of the Fountain.

"Link!" she snapped.

Link waved at her, bubbles floating from his mouth and his hand.

"Choking!" Navi reminded him.

Link waved dismissively: _I'll be fine, I'll be fine._

"Link!" Navi hissed, tugging futilely on the end of his hat and causing it to stick straight up.

Link ignored her and simply held his hat to his head, more bubbles floating from his mouth as his air escaped him. He probably only had about forty-five seconds left before he would drown, but he could clearly see what had caught his attention earlier.

His boots touched the ground, and he bent down to retrieve the final Piece of Heart necessary to complete his twelfth Heart Container. The second he pocketed the Piece, he removed his Iron Boots and settled into his Kokiri ones instead. He immediately began to float, with Navi still angrily tugging on the tip of his hat. Link smiled, then paddled toward a steep hill he was going to use to increase his upward movement.

Seconds later, he broke the surface of the lake and shook his head, his hair slicked to his face and falling into his eyes. He spat out some of the water before pulling himself out of the frigid lake, turning left and heading for the entrance to Zora's Domain.

"You could have drowned!" Navi protested as Link splashed through the several inches of water that had filled the entryway.

"I had plenty of air left," he assured her, reaching into his pouch to retrieve one of his bottles of Blue Fire so he could unfreeze the king.

Link stopped dead in his tracks, hand buried in his inventory as his eyes remained fixed on the far end of the room. He remained completely still, scarcely daring to breathe as Navi flitted all around him, nagging like an angry mother.

"Plenty of air?" she demanded. "You're not a fish! You—!"

Link raised his hand, knocking into her ever-so-slightly before gently catching her tiny self and holding onto her squirming form. "Shh…" he whispered, but it was the fact that he didn't look at her when he made the command that truly shut her up. Navi ceased to struggle against his fingers, instead turning to see what he was so fixed on.

Beneath the blazing torch to the right of the stairs, a lone wolf lay curled in a ball, fast asleep…

A lone wolf that looked very familiar…

 **A/N: Yes, an Ocarina is also a flute. I did not know this before I googled it, but apparently that's what it is. So, since there's no such thing as an "ocarinist", Link is a "flutist". And while we're on the topic of that nice little instrument, what's your favorite Ocarina song? Mine is the Requiem of Spirit, but the Song of Storms comes close.**


	22. A Detour Through Time

**A/N: (Dear Guest000, am I late? Bet you weren't expecting an update within two hours of your review. XD) Anyway, oh look! The Water Temple! Time to dawdle. Also, uhm...yeah...I took a lot of liberties with stuff here. Emotions and stuff. Yeah. This is the last time we'll get the sappy sissy OoT stuff; after this chapter, OoT Link should be perfectly fine with saving the world. (I make no guarantees though, seeing as I didn't even intend for it to happen in** _ **this**_ **chapter.) Just be patient for me here though, okay?**

 **Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.**

Chapter Twenty-One

A Detour Through Time

Link silently stole over to the wolf, walking slowly down the ramp on the east side of the wall. Navi remained motionless in his hands, just as mesmerized with the beast as he was. He stepped around to its front and halted four feet from the animal, studying it from a distance in case it woke up.

The wolf wore a very peaceful expression on its face. It was breathing rhythmically, the soft snores almost completely mute. Any sound issued from its mouth was drowned out by the crackle of the fire it relished, its dark fur bathed in the orange glow of the flame but somewhat reflecting the blue of the icy world nearby.

Link studied the pattern on its forehead, curiously regarding the very symmetrical image that almost reminded him of a rearranged Hyrulian insignia. The animal's paws were tucked under itself, so he couldn't see the shackle he remembered bound its left foot. However, the snapped chain was barely visible peeking out beneath its fluffy body.

Heart hammering in his chest, Link risked stepping closer to the wolf. He could scarcely see something pressed against its side, so he crouched down on the ice in front of the animal, not daring to take even one more step in case it heard him.

That strange creature that he had seen riding atop the wolf was now resting with it, her small body completely hidden by the beast's back leg and neck. Though she continued to wear her intriguing helmet, it seemed the large headdress was not heavy enough to ruin either of the pair's slumber.

The wolf shifted, adjusting its tail from where it rested on its snout. During this process, it seemed to tickle its nose, which caused it to snort. Link watched in absolute silence as the animal uncurled. Though it at first seemed the beast was ready to sprawl out on the ground, it had disturbed itself from its nap, and therefore chose to open its dark blue eyes instead. It blinked twice, having a hard time comprehending what it was seeing directly in front of it.

Link shot back as the animal's eyes widened, slipping across the ice with Navi still in his hands. The wolf itself had leapt to its feet, its companion tumbling forward and growling in some strange fractured language.

" _Uoifayyyse…_ " she said, whapping it in the side. She opened her own eyes, turning to face her animal but freezing midway, her piercing gaze falling squarely on Link.

The wolf wasted no time in knocking into her with its head, scooping her up onto its back and sprinting forward.

"Come back!" Link called, trying to run after it but failing miserably as his boots refused to grip the ice.

The wolf itself was having problems, its claws skittering across the frozen world as it forced itself toward the waterfall as opposed to the stairs it was so close to. Perhaps it would rather skate than trip down the stairway.

Link managed to gain footing, darting after the fleeing animal. However, it had already mastered the art of skating, sliding away faster than he could ever hope to run. He followed it down the icy path, watching with wide eyes as it ran to the edge of the waterfall without even daring to slow.

"Wait!" Link called, just as the beast's claws slipped somewhat down the fall, setting the animal at an awkward angle. The creature on its back gave a simple wave of farewell to the pair as the wolf utilized its position to leap forward. It soared through the air, seemingly gliding in slow motion as Link himself slid to a halt at the edge of the frozen falls. He watched the duo plummet to the ice below, the animal slamming into the ground and coughing. He almost thought he was seeing things as a recovery heart fractured off the animal's body, washing it in red. Wasn't that the heart he always saw within Heart Containers?

 _Does that thing have a_ health meter _?_ Link mentally demanded, watching the animal return to its feet and scramble away. It darted out the entrance to Zora's Domain, vanishing into the gushing waterfall and possibly disappearing forever.

"Is it…" Navi whispered, floating around Link's head. "Is it following us?"

"I have…no idea…" he replied.

Navi pounced on his hat. "I like how you thought you could stop it from escaping by calling out to it…as if it understands Hylian or something."

Link frowned. "Shush, Navi." He turned around. "Well, it's gone now. I kinda wonder how it got in here, seeing as no one can jump through that waterfall without playing Zelda's Lullaby."

"He howls."

"What?"

"He probably howled the song. He _did_ howl the Bolero of Fire, after all."

Link nodded thoughtfully, marching back through the tunnel and returning to the top of King Zora's throne. He reached back into his inventory once again, ready to whip out the Blue Fire.

"That wolf is far too prideful and adventurous to be normal…" Navi murmured as the flames engulfed the red ice.

Link nodded his agreement as he leapt off the frozen waterfall and onto the stairs, whirling around to speak to King Zora. For now, it seemed he needed to put the beast out of his mind; he had more pressing matters at hand, like freeing everything from its prison of red ice.

"Oh-I've come back to life!" His Majesty exclaimed. Even after seven years, he still wore the same red cloak outlined and clasped in gold, with a matching crown. He also still looked like someone had stuck a fish's upper half on some toothpick legs and gave it some human arms. "Was it you who saved me?"

Link nodded, but said nothing.

"Don't be nervous!" King Zora encouraged, kicking his legs like an anxious child. He studied Link closely, his blue eyes seeming foggy despite being definitely focused. "It looks like you have a hard time breathing underwater."

"Yes, Your Highness," Link confirmed.

"As an expression of my gratitude, I grant you this tunic. With this, you won't choke underwater."

"Which would be quite _nice_ , wouldn't you say?" Navi hissed in Link's ear.

He snickered, reaching up to catch the tunic that King Zora tossed at him. He held it over his head, watching it spin by strange Hyrulian magic.

 _I got a Zora Tunic!_ Link thought. _This diving suit is adult size, so it won't fit me as a kid. Wear it, and I won't drown underwater._

Link turned back to King Zora, but it seemed His Majesty had nothing left to say to him. Bowing respectfully, the Hero of Time backed away from the small staircase and turned to run down the larger stairwell. He took the steps three at a time, almost tripping several instances but managing to remain upright. He followed the curve of the path down to the Zora shop, only to halt immediately.

The Hero of Twilight was examining the red ice wall that blocked the entrance, his gaze fixed squarely on the center of the barricade. He glanced to the side, spotting Link standing there silently.

"Greetings," the Hero of Twilight called out to him, giving a small wave.

Link marched toward him, a severe expression on his face. He could tell he looked menacing based on the way the other Hero flinched when he stopped right in front of him. Even so, the Hero of Time gave his friend a somewhat harsh shove away from the shopkeeper's doorway.

"Why weren't you waiting for me in the throne room?" Link seethed, reaching into his inventory.

"I wasn't finished searching for clues," the Hero of Twilight protested, adjusting his shoulder belts and shrugging to fix his chainmail. "I've only been here for about thirty minutes."

"I was out for at least an hour!" Link snapped, pulling out his second to last bottle of Blue Fire and dumping the contents on the icy wall.

The Hero of Twilight stepped back to avoid being burned, his eyes widening before he looked back at Link. "Do you not remember how strenuous the journey is, to depart the Temple of Time and travel here?"

"So I assume that in your search for clues you spotted that wolf?" Navi asked.

The Hylian Hero raised an eyebrow at the pair, glancing at the ground where the ice was hissing, only to do a double-take at the floor. "You—!" he began.

"Yes, I found a way to melt the ice," Link agreed. "I also found out where the Zora's are, so I already know that the shopkeeper's going to be in there, and that he has Zora Tunics for sale, and I know that we're not leaving until you purchase one."

The Hero of Twilight dismissed the notion. "I have one."

"How?" Navi demanded.

"I acquired it for assisting the Zoras not too long after they thawed out the last time; I earned Her Majesty's gratitude and she gave me a garb crafted by her husband for the Hero. And in regard to the wolf, I did not see him."

Navi dive-bombed the Hero of Twilight. "How could you miss something so obvious?"

"I was searching for Zoras, not wolves!"

"How is it that whenever that thing shows up, _you're_ never around?"

"What are you insinuating?"

"What do you think I'm insinuating?!"

"Do I look like a wolf to you?" the Hero of Twilight demanded.

"If you're innocent, show me your Heart Containers," Link cut in.

The Hero of Twilight turned away from the fairy and faced the Hero of Time instead. Without another word, he reached into his inventory and drew out a massive collection of Heart Containers. He held all sixteen of them in his arms, not daring to set them down since he would die without any life energy.

Link examined all of them, almost too stunned by their appearance to actually do what he intended. Every Container was immensely different from his own. Instead of being a two-dimensional vibrant scarlet banded by a thin strip of blue, these were three-dimensional with a diamond-like cut. They were a faded red, framed in decorative pale olive band, and they horrifically changed their opacity to the rhythm of a real heartbeat.

 _Where did he get_ those _?_ Link wondered. _I've never seen Containers so intricate in the entirety of Hyrule… My Heart Containers don't look like that!_ He did his best to shrug off the oddity and began looking for cracks or blackened interiors: anything that would indicate his friend sustained falling damage from that waterfall. There was nothing of the sort. All sixteen Heart Containers were beating properly. Not an ounce of damage had been dealt to any of them.

 _Of course not,_ Link thought. _Link's a Hylian, not a wolf. No amount of magic could change him into a monster._

"Happy now, Navi?" the Hero of Time inquired, turning away from his friend and beginning to march to the exit. Now that the only two Zoras left in the Domain had been freed once again, he had other matters on his mind.

"W-what?" Navi asked. "What does that prove?"

"The wolf took damage from falling. But all of Link's Hearts are in perfect condition. He has no bottles to restore his life energy. How do you explain his flawless health?"

Navi looked between the two heroes. She then dropped onto Link's shoulder, sighing.

"Alright, fine," she relented. "But how do _you_ explain the wolf following us everywhere? It was in Goron City, Death Mountain, the Fire Temple, and now here! It's following us, Link, and then every time we get close, it runs away! Why would an animal be so dedicated and then change its mind every time we draw near?"

The Hero of Twilight slowly raised his hand, as if asking for permission to speak.

"What?" Link asked as the trio exited the Domain.

"Where did you find this wolf? In the Ice Cavern?"

"No, it was curled up under the torch at the top of the stairway that leads to the throne room," Navi answered.

"And you say he jumped off the waterfall?"

"Yes."

The Hero of Twilight shook his head in disbelief and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Navi asked as Link followed the natural arches down and began to descend Zora's River.

"He's not following you…he's following _me_!" the Hylian Hero snickered. Navi wasn't impressed by this observation, so he elaborated. "Listen, I informed you I come from a distant land. I work on a ranch, and that wolf has been known to prowl around. Now, I've departed my home, and yet he persists. That beast is addicted to the smell of ranch animals on my clothes! He's been tracking me down, dogging my steps because I smell like food!"

Link halted, then spun around to face his friend. "So because he's always following _after_ you, he appears to be _waiting_ around for us?"

The Hero of Twilight nodded insistently. "Yes! I searched the entirety of the Domain, even returning to the top of the falls. I extinguished and reignited the torches. I attempted everything I could to melt the ice, and left my scent _everywhere_."

 _You know, that actually makes a lot of sense…_ Link thought. _Well, much more sense than Link being a wolf._

"How did it even know to find us here, though?" Navi wondered aloud, as the Hero of Time resumed walking. "It wasn't here when we first arrived…"

"He perhaps caught a whiff of my scent as I spurred Epalon back to the river, then followed me to the waterfall…though I know not how he entered."

"He howls," Link finished for him. "You were speaking with Darunia at the time, so you never heard him mimic the Bolero of Fire." He leapt off a miniature waterfall, falling into the strong current of the stream and allowing himself to be carried the final length of the River. The Hero of Twilight followed suit, dropping off the second small waterfall.

The Hylian Hero joined Link on the shore once again, both of them mounting their waiting steeds. "Pleasant. Disregarding the beast, what have you decided to do now? Where have you set your heart on traveling?"

His questioning triggered a response Link didn't want to feel. Though he had been doing his best to ignore the emotions, he found himself nudging Epona's sides, spurring her forward and leaving his friend and his fairy in the dust without another word.

 _I want the nightmare to never happen,_ Link thought.

He was heading north.

"Link!" the Hero of Twilight called after him, his voice echoed by Navi.

"We have to get to Lake Hylia!" she added. "Where are you going, Link?" She zipped over to her Hylian, somehow managing to keep up with Epona and even overtaking the mare so she could land on the Hero of Time's shoulder. "What's…what's wrong?"

"I have Sheik's words in my head, Navi, and you know what I've decided?" Link asked, nudging Epona again and encouraging her to run faster.

"What?" she asked, somewhat fearfully.

"I don't want to see my reflection."

The Hero of Twilight was doing his best to catch up to them, even though Epalon wasn't as speedy as Epona. He was faring pretty well though, managing to ride within earshot, and therefore able to join the conversation; "Might I inquire what that means?"

Link reined Epona to a halt in front of Hyrule Castle, leaping off his mount and staring at the ruinous remains of the drawbridge that was now flooded. He looked up at the city wall's exterior, aware that his face was washed in the shadows and darkness that engulfed the entirety of Castle Town.

 _I hate seeing Hyrule this way…_ he thought.

"Link, we have to break the curse on Zora's Domain by defeating the monsters within the Water Temple!" Navi insisted as he marched toward the flooded bridge.

"Where are you going?" the Hero of Twilight inquired.

Link slowed his pace before coming to a complete stop at the edge. He then rounded on his two companions, causing them to cease their approach. "I've had enough. I've seen too much of this… Everywhere I turn, hoping to find even one thing that remains of the world I once knew, all I perceive is suffering."

"So you're just going to run away?" Navi demanded. "Link, I know you're better than this! _You_ know you're better than this. The problem will never be fixed if you just abandon it!"

"I'm not abandoning it. I would never dream of leaving this world in its torment, especially since I am ultimately the reason it has fallen into this despair."

"Then why are you departing?" the Hero of Twilight asked. "If you acquired a means to save the Zoras, why are you not utilizing this?"

"We have to keep going," Navi insisted. "We have to save the Zoras and rescue the Sages before it's too late. It's the only chance we have."

"I know you're eager to continue the quest, to save Hyrule from all the ruin Ganondorf has reduced it to, free it from the turmoil and rescue it from the havoc. But is there even anything left of Hyrule to save?" Link asked them. "A few desperate people, hoping against hope that the goddesses have provided a Hero. And I know that if we don't hurry, not even they will be left…"

"Link…" Navi whispered.

"I've seen my own home, overrun with monsters…and every one of my former friends believes me dead—or at the very least, a traitor. The sole exception is my very best friend, a Sage, and even she has admitted that we cannot be in the same world anymore. I've seen an entire race locked away, and had we not rescued them sooner, they would have been devoured; these same people who were going to starve to death when I was a child, were now going to be eaten since I have become an adult! Their city would surely have turned to rubble, vacant forever, and the dragon they fought so hard to contain would run rampant through the wasteland of Hyrule!

"And I chased a princess to ask her for a stone, witnessing the beauty of Zora's Domain and speaking to all of its citizens on my way. Now their lord is gone, their king has scarcely been thawed, their princess is missing, and those very citizens are locked in icy stasis because of a curse. Even their precious lake has been drained…"

Neither of his companions added anything, so Link continued. "Every soldier is gone, either hiding in the farthest corners of Hyrule or lying dead somewhere. The Castle they protected so dedicatedly has been ripped out of the earth, a floating island of bloody destruction with no way to access it. And I ran through the streets of Castle Town as a child, chasing Cuccos, retrieving dogs, bowling, exploring, masquerading, and speaking to everyone I encountered. Now the only whispers that remain are the cries of the dead, the howl of the wind, and the growls of the monsters that inhabit those streets. Every beam has been reduced to ash, every structure a pile of cinders and crumbled stone."

Link looked between the pair. "As a child, I faced challenges and trials beyond what I thought myself capable of overcoming, but I was willing to become whatever Hyrule needed. I had a strong sense of justice, an urge to protect and defend and save, no matter what it did to me. I didn't care if I was weak, I didn't mind if some challenges were just too much for me to bear. I drew the Master Sword, ready to do whatever it took to save the world from a single man with a great evil in his heart.

"But I wasn't ready at all. I was locked in the Temple of Time for seven years, until I could grow up and become worthy of the Master Sword. And yet I can't help but wonder if it was my age the sword chose to alter, or my mind. I may have aged seven years, but I haven't matured at all. And now the challenges are harder, the tasks more complicated. The goddesses knew I couldn't do it, even after seven years. So they sent you, Link, an older companion who has seen Hyrule afflicted before and saved it."

"But you've faced every challenge bravely, with great courage," Navi persisted. "You've traveled alone and with minimal help from Link. I don't believe he was meant to replace you. He was meant to assist!"

"And I will lend you every ounce of my strength on your quest," the Hero of Twilight affirmed.

"So please…" Navi trailed off.

Link studied her, then the Hero of Twilight, and looked back to her. "You don't understand how hard it is…to look at a world you saved so long ago, and know that it has become a wasteland because of your own actions. I've struggled to see it like this, done my best to handle it and ignore those insignificant thoughts that plagued me. But Navi, I have now seen every location I traveled to as a child reduced to utter _ruin_ , a _shred_ of their former magnificence."

Link turned to the other Hero. "I know you've overcome many things, been strong for everyone that needed you. But I'm not you. I want to save the world, with everything I am, which is why it's killing me to look at the destruction that remains of it, and know that's all that remains. I promise to rescue and restore it, but I am only a child. And, if even once more, I would like to become a child again, to return home to my own time and remember the world I unknowingly would be leaving behind."

The pair remained silent.

"So," Link proceeded, "if you could find it in your hearts to allow me just one selfish request, then I implore you both to allow me to return home…back to my own time. If just _once_ …"

Navi tentatively glided over to her Hylian, hesitating long enough for him to hold out his hands to catch her. "We could go back a thousand times, Link. To see Hyrule in its former glory, to remind ourselves what exactly we adventure for. No matter the choices you make, no matter what you do, I am your guide and your companion, and I will never abandon _you_. Any time you want to be a child again, I'll go with you. And when you're ready to return to the present, I'll be there."

Link was so touched by her words that he didn't notice the Hero of Twilight's movement, and consequently flinched when the other Hero rested a hand on his shoulder.

The Hylian Hero smiled softly. "I promise not to abandon you either."

Link looked between the fairy in his palms and the Hero in front of him, before he finally allowed himself to smile.

"Let's go home," he agreed. He felt his friend's hand slip away from his shoulder, and the pair began to walk. The Hero of Twilight whipped out Saria's Ocarina and played the Sun's Song for them as they trekked through the city's entrance and into the courtyard. Navi fluttered out of Link's grasp as they walked, but immediately landed on his left shoulder instead to reassure him that she would be with him no matter what. The trio passed by the frozen Redeads, marching up the stairs leading to the Temple of Time and maintaining a steady pace as they departed.

Neither one of his companions dared say anything, even as the minutes slipped by, so Link spoke up to lighten the mood as they entered the Temple. "I'm getting excited," he confessed, proof of his statement evident in his pitch.

"Indeed, as am I," the Hero of Twilight agreed, his voice echoing across the massive walls.

"What did you look like as a kid, Link?" the Hero of Time inquired.

"My hair was longer, and I was small. Those are, perhaps, the only differences."

"We'll just have to find out, now won't we?" Link approached the dais where the Master Sword once rested, pulling the blade from its sheath to return it almost too eagerly. He cast a glance at the weapon, a split second of hesitation claiming him. He didn't let it win, and instead held the tool with the point toward the pedestal, bringing it down with all his strength.

The sword sunk into the stone, and a ring of blue light shot forth from the sides of the dais almost instantaneously. The Hero of Twilight scooted a bit closer to Link as the shine grew brighter and taller, the glow extending towards the sky and increasing speed significantly. The Hero of Time remained exactly where he was, kneeling with his eyes closed and his hands resting on his hilt. His heart was racing like the flecks in the wall of blue, and the world was engulfed in a blinding white.

Then, there was nothing. No rushing sound, no vibrant blue, no overwhelming white.

Link opened his eyes, hands still holding onto the hilt of his blade. He was aware that he was now standing, and he could see a gold bracelet on his wrist. His sword and shield felt heavy on his back, and his entire outfit seemed just a bit big for him. Instantly, he released his weapon and jumped down from the pedestal, looking around wildly. He turned in a circle, trying to get a good look at himself, but the expression on the Hero of Twilight's face was enough to tell him that it had worked.

Link had gone seven years back in time.

. . . . .

 **A/N: (Back to theorizing…) Anyone else think of the Heart Containers/Pieces kind of like a curse? I mean, at the start of the game you have three hearts, and you only hear the beeping at like one heart to tell you Link's dying. But by the end of the game, with twenty hearts, once you drop down to three hearts it'll start beeping. And it's not like the enemies have gotten stronger or anything: this is literally the same life count you had at the beginning, and now it's bad for you? Who knows, maybe Link secretly develops a dependency on the Heart Containers and gets weaker the longer he has them?**

 **I mention this because I always write weird stuff about the Heart Containers/Pieces, like that they crack and turn black when he loses health (we never really see what happens to them, so you can't prove me wrong…probably). Besides, I kinda wanna say that when the Hero dies, his Heart Containers that he assembled fragment into Pieces again and scatter across Hyrule, and then when the little villains find them, they reassemble them and present them to the dungeon bosses. Which is why those guys always have Heart Containers. I don't actually know if there's** _ **any**_ **information about that sneaky health bar, but hey, it's just a thought.**


End file.
